Cowboys Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott Hasn't 'Firmly Decided' on Contract Holdout

Ezekiel Elliott may hold out this summer as he seeks a long-term contract extension, though he reportedly hasn't made a decision on doing so just yet.  

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Monday that Elliott is keeping his options open for now:

"From what I'm told, as recently as yesterday, all options were still on the table," Rapoport said. "[Elliott] still had not yet firmly decided whether or not he was going to hold out. If he does not hold out, that means contract negotiations are going in the right direction, or at least he trusts the Cowboys to get a deal done."

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk previously reported that Elliott was privately planning to hold out this summer, adding on Saturday, "The Cowboys report for camp in five days. Running back Ezekiel Elliott may or may not be there. Per a league source, Elliott currently is believed to be making plans for a trip out of the country."

However, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported last week that Elliott was still mulling over a potential holdout but hadn't made up his mind:

A number of factors are at play.

For one, the 24-year-old Elliott is under contract for two more seasons, and the Cowboys hold the option of using the franchise tag on him beyond that. Dallas probably isn't in a rush to give him a lucrative extension with Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper both hitting free agency after this season.

Elliott has also had a number of off-field incidents in his short career and was suspended by the NFL for six games during the 2017 season. The Cowboys could make the argument that making a major financial commitment to Elliott at this point would be a major risk on their end given those concerns. 

But the superstar running back isn't without leverage. He's rushed for 4,048 yards and 28 touchdowns in 40 career games, serving as the focal point of Dallas' offense in his first three seasons. During the six games he missed in 2017, the Cowboys went just 3-3 and missed the postseason that year. They were 6-4 in games he played that season.

Meanwhile, Elliott missed just one contest in each of the 2016 and 2018 seasons. They made the playoffs both years.

And over his career, the Cowboys are 17-4 during games in which he runs for 100 or more yards. Meanwhile, they were just 3-6 last season during games in which he didn't hit the century mark. 

With Elliott, the Cowboys have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Without him, they don't. It's really that simple, and it's the main piece of leverage he holds in contract negotiations. 

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Which NFL players will hold out? Zeke? Melvin Gordon? Michael Thomas? Check out the latest edition of The Lefkoe Show discussing holdouts, predicting every division winner and an interview with Washington Redskins QB Case Keenum.