Ezekiel Elliott will still be holding out when the NFL's regular season begins in September, at least to hear Jerry Jones tell it.
"I'm operating as though right now he's going to miss regular-season games," Jones, the team's owner and general manager, told reporters Thursday after the team's exhibition vs. the Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.
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The Cowboys will open their regular season Sept. 8 at home vs. the Giants.
Elliott has been away from the team while he seeks an extension to his rookie contract, which runs through the 2020 season. He is scheduled to make $3.85 million in 2019 and $9.1 million in 2020, per Spotrac.com. Jones reportedly offered to make Elliott the NFL's second highest-paid running back, while Elliott reportedly is aiming to be the highest-paid at his position.
Jones' comments Thursday were in line with what he said Wednesday during an interview with the team's flagship radio station.
"We may very well play without a player that's not coming in on his contract. We'll play and we'll play well," Jones told Dallas' KRLD.
The Elliott negotiations have played out almost daily in the media. Elliott reportedly was angry with Jones saying "Zeke who?" in response to a question after the team's second exhibition. Jones responded by saying he had "earned the right" to joke about Elliott, a seeming nod to Jones' staunch support for Elliott while Elliott was facing NFL discipline for off-field matters.
Elliott is one of three offensive mainstays who may receive new deals this year. The team is also in discussions with reps for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper.
