Report: Ezekiel Elliott has talked about holding out of training camp without contract extension

The Dallas Cowboys will be heading to Oxnard, California for training camp very soon, and they hope everyone will be there and ready to go except for the injured.

There are currently contract extensions to be negotiated for both Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper, but those conversations have left Ezekiel Elliott out in the cold. Zeke is also eligible for a new deal, but given that he’s a running back and has had run-ins with the league office because of his off-the-field issues, there’s a strong argument against paying him. Perhaps more to the point for the Cowboys, he still has two more years left on his contract so the urgency isn’t there for the team.

Perhaps Zeke has heard these arguments and is readying himself to combat them. According to Pro Football Talk, he may not show up to training camp without an extension.

Per a league source, Elliott has privately said that he will hold out of training camp unless he gets a new contract.

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If Elliot indeed intends to holdout, he’s smart. He has significant value now, and after the next two years his worth to the franchise could plummet — either due to the wear and tear of playing tailback or a possible shift in offensive philosophy away from the team’s run-to-set-up-the-pass-but-still-run-a-lot strategy.

Cowboys fans feared that the team might not have Zeke due to suspension, but we already know that he’s avoided that. If he chose to hold out of training camp it could ultimately end with him showing up to the team at a later date, but a whole lot of drama could unfold before that happens.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon also wants a new deal from his team sooner rather than later. Perhaps running backs across the league have grown impatient and want to secure the proverbial bag as soon as possible. Who can blame them?

Buckle your seatbelts.