Jerry Jones on Ezekiel Elliott Contract: Zeke Has Been Arguably Our Best Player

Jerry Jones made an appearance on CNBC on Wednesday morning, praising Ezekiel Elliott's impact on the Dallas Cowboys and calling him arguably the best player on the team.

Elliott is fresh off of signing a six-year, $90 million contract extension that includes $50 million in guaranteed money, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.

Elliott still has two years and $12.9 million remaining on his contract, bringing his new deal to over $100 million, the most lucrative contract for a running back in NFL history. His $50 million in guaranteed money also surpassed the previous high of $45 million given to Los Angeles Rams superstar running back Todd Gurley II.

He has earned the massive payday. Since 2016, he leads the NFL in rushing with 4,048 rushing yards, which is impressive considering he missed six games to suspension in the 2017 season.

His actions off the field have been a concern in the past. Most recently, Elliott was handcuffed at a music festival after a confrontation with a member of security, but he was not arrested or suspended by the league.

However, Dallas' financial commitment to Elliott seems to be a vote of confidence that won't continue.

On the field, quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver Amari Cooper and Elliott form one of the most dangerous offensive threesomes in the NFL. And Prescott and Cooper will be next in line to get paid, as both are set to become unrestricted free agents after the 2019 season.

The Cowboys have been opening up the checkbook quite frequently already, locking up linebacker Jaylon Smith to a five-year, $64 million deal ($35.5 million guaranteed) and right tackle La'el Collins on a five-year, $50 million extension ($35 million guaranteed). 

But Elliott's holdout was the prevailing storyline of Dallas' summer, and ending it is a huge relief for an organization with Super Bowl aspirations. With Elliott, the Cowboys are a dangerous team. Without him, they would have posed much less of a threat.