Whenever Ezekiel Elliott does join the Dallas Cowboys, don’t expect the team to spend much time getting him to speed before getting him back on the field.
Speaking to the media Monday in advance of his team’s season opener against the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said he has no set time frame for how long Elliott would have to wait to play after joining the team.
“Zeke is as capable as anybody I know. He’s an experienced player, he’s been a really good player for us, he knows our system of football,” Garrett said. “I don’t think they’ll be a lot of learning there. He’s a smart guy, an instinctive guy. But again, that’s a hypothetical. We’re just focused on the guys we have right now. We’re going to go practice as well as we can the right way to prepare for the Giants.”
Elliott has been holding out all camp in search of a new contract. He has been in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, working out, reportedly training with Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk.
According to reports over the weekend, negotiations between the team and Elliott are “intensifying.”
Any game missed would cost Elliott more than $225,000 in base salary, and he could be fined for each day he misses practice or meetings. According to the collective bargaining agreement, failing to report for the first game could also make Elliott subject to the Cowboys seeking a return of some of his prorated signing bonus.
Elliott has already racked up more than $1 million in fines for missing camp.
Multiple outlets also reported Monday that the Cowboys will bring running back Jordan Chunn off the practice squad, giving them three tailbacks plus a fullback on the active roster. Chunn would be joined by tailbacks Alfred Morris and Tony Pollard, along with fullback Jamize Olawale.