Back in 2019, Ezekiel Elliott held the Cowboys hostage by holding out until they signed him to a six-year contract extension worth $90 million that included $50 million guaranteed.
Elliott had a good 2019 campaign but hasn’t regained his once dominant form.
During an interview on the Washington Football Talk podcast, Bobby Belt, a Cowboys insider for 105.3 The Fan, asserted that even if Elliott somehow turns into a vintage version of himself, his time with the franchise will end once the 2022 campaign concludes.
“Zeke could rush for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns this year and I think he’s still probably done here,” Belt told the podcast. “They need to move on. That contract has been such an albatross for them, one of the worst deals in football and, as much as they love his toughness and things like that, it’s about time to rip off the Band-Aid. He’s not the same player anymore.”
Elliott is under contract through 2026, but the Cowboys could cut him after this season and only take on $11.8 million in dead money.
Even at the relatively young age of 26, it sure appears that Elliott is on the decline.
Belt is sensing regret from the team’s side over Elliott’s pact.
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“I think the vast majority of them, if not all of them, would tell you that was a mistake,” he said. “That contract was a mistake, they shouldn’t have done it.”
That decision has proven costly in more ways than one.
“They have nobody to blame but themselves,” Belt said. “That’s been a big drag on them.”
Last year, Elliott appeared in 17 games for the Cowboys and rushed for 1,002 yards to go along with 47 receptions for 287 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns.
