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SPORTS Thursday 5 sepTember 2019

Cowboys, Elliott agree on $90

million deal that ends holdout

By SCHUYLER DIXON ry Jones said on CNBC in Prescott earned NFL Of-
AP Pro Football Writer New York, where he and his fensive Rookie of the Year
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Eze- son, executive vice presi- honors after Dallas won a
kiel Elliott has a new con- dent Stephen Jones, rang franchise-record 11 straight
tract with the Dallas Cow- the opening bell at the games and was the top
boys just in time for the New York Stock Exchange. seed in the NFC. The Cow-
regular season. “Zeke has been arguably boys lost to Aaron Rodgers
The star running back and our best player. We’re glad and Green Bay in the divi-
the club agreed Wednes- to get him booked in.” sional round.
day on a $90 million, six- Even when he was sus- After the addition of Coo-
year contract extension pended for six games over per in a midseason trade
that will make him the NFL’s domestic violence allega- last year, Prescott and El-
highest-paid player at his tions in 2017, Elliott still had liott got a wild-card win
position and end a holdout the best per-game rushing over Seattle following their
that lasted the entire pre- average in the league. second division title last
season. But the off-field issues were season. The Cowboys then In this June 12, 2019, file photo, Dallas Cowboys running back
The breakthrough was fi- part of the backdrop as lost to the Los Angeles Ezekiel Elliott smiles as he walks off the field after participating
nalized before dawn on the impasse dragged on, Rams, falling to 0-6 in the in drills at the team’s NFL football training facility in Frisco, Texas.
the morning of the team’s although Jerry Jones, also divisional round since finish- Associated Press
first full workout before the team’s general man- ing the 1995 season with a they made their final cuts during the suspension two
Sunday’s opener at home ager, said more than once Super Bowl win over Pitts- of the preseason: Pollard years ago. Morris rejoined
against the New York Gi- he didn’t consider Elliott’s burgh. and Alfred Morris, a seven- the club in training camp.
ants. issues a factor as it related The Cowboys kept just two year veteran who was El- They later added Jordan
Elliott will get $50 million to a new contract. backs behind Elliott when liott’s primary replacement Chunn.q
guaranteed. The $15 mil- Jones jokingly said “Zeke
lion-per-year average on who?” in response to a
the extension surpasses the question from a reporter
$14.4 million Todd Gurley after a second straight sol-
got from the Los Angeles id preseason showing from
Rams last summer. Gurley’s rookie fourth-round pick
guarantee was $45 million. Tony Pollard in Hawaii.
The 41-day stalemate be- A few days later, though,
tween Dallas and the two- Jones sternly said he had
time NFL rushing champion earned the right to joke
came with the Cowboys about Elliott after the 2016
holding high expectations All-Pro’s representatives
coming off their first playoff took offense to the remark.
win with Elliott and quar- The owner strongly sup-
terback Dak Prescott. They ported Elliott during a court
have won two NFC East fight over the suspension.
titles in three seasons to- As the regular season drew
gether. closer, Jones took an in-
Prescott and receiver Am- creasingly hardline stance
ari Cooper are also seek- publicly, finally calling out
ing long-term contracts Elliott during his radio show
in the final year of their last week for not honoring
rookie deals. But getting his existing contract.
an agreement with Elliott But Elliott’s agent, Rocky
settles the most important Arceneaux, told reporters
issue as the Cowboys try the sides were close to a
to get past the divisional deal after Elliott landed at
round for the first time since Dallas-Fort Worth Interna-
winning the last of the fran- tional Airport on Tuesday.
chise’s five Super Bowls dur- Elliott spent almost the en-
ing the 1995 season. tire holdout in Cabo San
Elliott held out with two Lucas, Mexico.
years left on his rookie con- Elliott rose to stardom as a
tract, at $3.9 million this sophomore at Ohio State
season and $9.1 million in during the first College
2020. The fourth overall pick Football Playoff following
in the 2016 draft wanted to the 2014 season, most no-
be the highest-paid back tably at the home of the
after getting those two Cowboys when he rushed
rushing titles in only three for 246 yards and four
years. touchdowns in a blowout
Now the 24-year-old is, with of Oregon in the champi-
a contract that totals $103 onship game.
million over the next eight He wasted little time hav-
seasons. ing an impact with the
“I’m $100 million lighter as Cowboys, winning the rush-
of this morning,” owner Jer- ing title as a rookie while