Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper discuss Ezekiel Elliott, contracts and training camp

Both Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper took the time to address their contract situations, and the holdout of Ezekiel Elliott on Saturday. As you can imagine, based on their past statements, neither are overly concerned with their own contract, and both are fine with Zeke trying to get paid.

When reporters tried to break some news about Prescott’s contract situation, the wily veteran was having none of it.

Dak Prescott pulled a Jerry Jones and pretended he didn’t hear the question about whether the Cowboys quarterback would table contract talks if he doesn’t have a new deal by the season opener.

“One more time,” Prescott said before pausing. “What did Jerry do yesterday? I didn’t hear you.”

That was the funny answer, but he had a serious one, too.

“I’m not here to talk about my contract and that stuff,” Prescott said Saturday. “Talks, I’m sure, at this point are continuously happening. For me, it’s to come out here and focus on this, not be distracted by any of that stuff, any of that conversation, just focus on being better, just being the best player I can be and making sure everyone around me is as well.”

He also quickly discussed Zeke.

“We’ve talked. Quick communications,” Prescott said when asked if he had talked to Elliott. “But that’s all business. That’s for him to handle. For my job right now, it’s just come out here and make sure this team is getting better. I’m making sure I’m getting myself better and everyone out here. That’s my main focus is being the best team we can be with everyone here. We know he will take care of himself.”

Amari Cooper’s comments sounded very similar.

“I want to be here,” Cooper said. “I haven’t really been thinking about my contract situation because I don’t know. I don’t know why. I want to be here. I want to be out here running routes. I want to be out here catching balls from Dak [Prescott] because I think it’s necessary, and I think it’s going to help me achieve what I want to achieve this season.”

But he knows that he’s getting paid a pretty decent wage in 2019, and also knows that Zeke’s situation is a little different.

“Different strokes for different folks,” Cooper said. “Their situations are different than mine. I have a fifth-year option coming up to where I get paid a significant amount of money if I play on that. But the running back position, you know Melvin [Gordon] is one of my good friends, and he tells me the contract he would play on this year, it’s nothing.”

He’s very casual about his contract, or maybe he’s just waiting for the WR market to jump again.

“I’m not even worried about it,” Cooper said. “Obviously, I’ve never been in that situation before where I was up for a contract, but I just look at it as one of those things that’s going to happen when it happens. I’m not worried about it at all to be honest.”

Elliott’s holdout is causing some drama, but Prescott’s and Cooper’s low-key approach is helping the team counter-balance that. All three are essential to 2019 success, the sooner all three are reunited the better.

Hat tip to Charean Williams at PFT for posting Prescott/Cooper quotes.