The Cowboys on Monday began game-week preparation for their opener with Ezekiel Elliott still missing.
After reports heading into the weekend that characterized negotiations on a new contract as "gaining momentum," Yahoo Sports reported Sunday night that the Cowboys "expected more compromise" from Elliott's representatives to get a new deal done.
Update on Zeke Elliott and the #Cowboys: the two sides communicated in the late afternoon. Dallas is frustrated with the last exchange. After Saturday’s momentum, Cowboys expected more compromise to get a deal done today. Didn’t happen, so it’s on to Monday and a hopeful reset.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) September 2, 2019
NFL Network reported that negotiations continued late Sunday but according an unidentified source a deal still was "not close."
Asked what was holding up an agreement, NFL Network's source replied "everything."
A source informed tells me that while talks with #Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott continued late Sunday the deal is still “not close”. When I asked what’s holding it up the answer was the same as last month “everything”.
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) September 2, 2019
Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, appearing Monday morning on "PFT Live," said the Cowboys had hoped to get a deal done Sunday to ensure that Elliott would be available for the full week of preparation in advance of the Week 1 game against the Giants.
However, the Cowboys were on the field Monday and coach Jason Garrett wouldn't commit to a timeline for when Elliott needs to be with the team in order to play.
"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 told reporters in Frisco, Texas (via ESPN.com). "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 reportedly has been in Cabo working out, but because he missed all of training camp conditioning could be a factor.
"There's a playing progression we have every year with our guys. But again, this is a different situation than that," Garrett said. "You try to treat each situation on its merits, specifically based on the guy and what the particular situation is."
With the regular season kicking off this week, Elliott is facing a new set of potential fines: almost $40,000 per day for practice days missed and a little more than $226,000 in base salary for every game missed. Also, according to the current collective bargaining agreement, if Elliott doesn't report ahead of the regular-season openers, the Cowboys are allowed to try and recoup a quarter of his prorated signing bonus.
Elliott already could be facing fines totaling $1.48 million for missing 37 days of training camp.
Elliott has one year left on his rookie contract as well as a fifth-year team option for 2020 that the team has picked up.
According to Yahoo Sports, the problem at this point in the negotiations isn’t the dollars in a new deal but the structure. The Cowboys are particularly intent on managing when pieces of the deal become guaranteed.
ESPN, which cited an unidentified source, reported that the Cowboys will call up running back Jordan Chunn from the practice squad and will place rookie guard Connor McGovern (pectoral muscle) on injured reserve. Chunn would be the fourth back on the Cowboys' 53-man roster, joining Tony Pollard, Alfred Morris and fullback Jamize Olawale.
Noted ESPN: Chunn's addition could be viewed as preparation for being without Elliott against the Giants, but he also can play on special teams.
