Getty Ezekiel Elliott
The Dallas Cowboys appear to be nearing a deal to make Ezekiel Elliott the highest-paid player at his position. According to multiple reports, the disgruntled running back has asked for a six-year deal worth $90 million. That’s an insane amount of money. But Elliott likes to eat.
It’s even more crazy bonkers when comparing it to the other elite rushers in the NFL. Elliott’s alleged demands would net him $15 million per year on average, sky-rocketing him ahead of the Rams’ Todd Gurley, the Jets’ LeVeon Bell and the Cardinals’ David Johnson. It’s part of a new strategy across the league’s landscape where the best deal is the next deal.
Elliott arrived back in Dallas, after a lengthy vacation in Mexico, Tuesday night with his agent hinting that a $90 million contract was imminent.
“I think Zeke showed his commitment by coming back to Dallas. We didn’t come here not to do a deal. So I think he’s committed. Both sides are,” Elliott’s agent Rocky Arceneaux told reporters, via CBS DFW.
Follow the Heavy Philadelphia Eagles page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
As Ezekiel Elliott arrives at DFW airport, he’s asked if he’s ready to join the team.
Zeke: “I’ve been ready.”
Eagles Backfield Would Make One-Third
Ezekiel Elliott’s contract demands have been quite the laughing matter in Philadelphia. The Eagles locked up their franchise quarterback Carson Wentz way back in June and have watched several high-profile players drag their negotiations out in nasty and ugly ways. In essence, the team stacked the dominos before they could fall. And not just in regard to Wentz.
The Eagles kept four running backs on their 53-man roster after the cut-down deadline: Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Darren Sproles and Corey Clement. Four very explosive and game-changing rushers that they expect to feed. The collective annual salary of those four guys is exactly one-third of what Elliott has asked for.
Think about that, one-third. Their contracts combined and added up equal less than $5 million — $4,979,426 to be exact. The breakdown: Howard ($2.025 million), Sanders ($495,000), Sproles ($1.33 million) and Clement ($645,000)
Pretty good, right? It gets better. Clement is in the final year of a three-year contract he signed in 2017, while Sproles and Howard are on one-year deals. The Eagles can cut ties with them and move on at any time. Meanwhile, Sanders — arguably the best of the group — is a rookie and under team control for the next four seasons. He’ll make an average of $1.3 million per year.
Is Jared Goff Better than Carson Wentz?
Speaking of guys that just got paid … Jared Goff signed a four-year extension Tuesday worth $134 million, including $110 million guaranteed. The deal puts him slightly ahead of Carson Wentz who received $128 million with $107 million guaranteed. The numbers are pretty similar, but the Rams could have saved themselves at least $10 million by getting pen to paper before the Eagles did.
Most guaranteed money in NFL history:
Jared Goff $110.0M
Carson Wentz $107.9M
Russell Wilson $107.0M
Matt Ryan $100.0M
Aaron Rodgers $98.2M
Wentz and Goff will forever be linked due to the fact that they went No. 1 and No. 2 in the 2016 NFL Draft. Wentz already has his Super Bowl ring — although the victory may seem hollow to some since he didn’t actually play in the game. Wentz himself admitted as much with some candid comments earlier in the offseason.
“I know I speak for everyone in this organization that we’re not complacent with just one,” Wentz told 94 WIP. “I know, for me personally, it still gets to me that I wasn’t out on the field and that’s definitely the goal and I’m as hungry as ever to get back.”
READ NEXT: Jalen Ramsey, Eric Berry Among NFL Players for Eagles to Target