Cowboys Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott Not on Team Plane as Training Camp Holdout Looms

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is reportedly not on the team's plane that is taking players to training camp Thursday as a potential contract holdout looms.

Jane Slater of NFL Network reported the news, though she noted it's possible Elliott will fly himself to Los Angeles. The Cowboys are hosting their training camp in Oxnard, a city just outside of L.A.

Elliott is scheduled to make $3.9 million in the fourth year of his rookie contract this season. He is under contract for 2020 at $9.1 million after the Cowboys exercised their fifth-year option.

The Cowboys have not inked long-term extensions with Elliott or quarterback Dak Prescott, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Prescott is expected to be in training camp and is viewed as the first priority because he is not under contract in 2020, though the team could franchise tag him. Slater reported there is some optimism the two sides could get a deal done during camp.

The Cowboys can fine Elliott $40,000 for each day of camp he misses. 

There has been public talk about extensions for the two Dallas stalwarts dating back to the end of last season with no action. Prescott's negotiations likely come down to how much the Cowboys are willing to pay for a quarterback few view as one of the 10 best at his position. Quarterback contracts tend to be precedent-setting, however, and Prescott probably will want a deal in line with the $128 million the Eagles gave to Carson Wentz.

Elliott's simply a positional value proposition. He's almost inarguably the best running back in football. Only Jim Brown has more rushing yards per game over his NFL career than Elliott; he's one of only 13 players in NFL history to rush for at least 4,000 yards through his first three seasons.

However, there are also issues besides Elliott's on-field acumen. He was suspended for six games during the 2017 season for allegations of domestic violence and is currently under investigation for an incident where he pushed a security guard. The NFL has said it will not suspend Elliott after meeting with the running back, who has since apologized. 

There is also a matter of how running backs are viewed around the NFL as short-term commodities whose bodies break down faster than other positions. The Cowboys could theoretically keep Elliott on a year-to-year basis by franchise tagging him for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, which would take him potentially through his prime.