While there has been mounting speculation that Ezekiel Elliott's holdout in hopes of a new contract could be close to ending, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones indicated the two sides might not be as close as many think.
"I don't think we're close because there's not a lot of activity," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.
When asked if the deal would be done before Week 1 of the regular season, Jones didn't rule out the possibility.
"We feel confident things will get done," Jones added. "Things happen real quick, sometimes within hours."
Jones' comments come after ESPN reported Thursday that the Cowboys offered Elliott a deal that would make him the second highest-paid running back in the NFL.
ESPN's report explained that Elliott's offer isn't as big as Todd Gurley's four-year, $57.5 million extension he signed with the Rams in July 2018, but it's worth more than Le'Veon Bell's four-year, $52.5 million deal with the Jets this offseason.
While the Cowboys finish the preseason, Elliott is currently training in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Hope rose when Elliott returned to Dallas last weekend, but that apparently was only a break from training. Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk said Thursday that he is heading to Cabo to help the Cowboys' star running back train for the upcoming season.
“He’s been busting his butt training,” Faulk said on "The Rich Eisen Show." “I got some drills and some stuff I used to do. ... I’ve challenged him with his conditioning and trying to get him closer to football-ready, not just being in good shape. So I’m going down to try and make him throw up.”
The Cowboys are scheduled to open the regular season Sept. 8 against the Giants, and there have been conflicting reports on whether Elliott will sit out as he seeks his extension.
Elliott has one year left on his rookie contract as well as a fifth-year team option.