Stephen Jones Says Ezekiel Elliott's Off-Field Incident Won't Affect Contract Talk
There are two things that are abundantly clear about Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott: That he’s a world-class talent on the field, but also an unpredictable guy away from it.
His latest incident at a Las Vegas music festival — in which he pushed a security guard and ended up handcuffed, but not ultimately arrested or charged — shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been paying attention to Zeke’s track record. But it must be noted that the Cowboys front office isn’t so deterred by any of this.
From @NFLTotalAccess: #Cowboys RB Zeke Elliott was detained but not arrested in a recent incident that Stephen Jones says won‘t affect contract talks. Meanwhile, Elliott is slated to be at OTAs today, but it remains to be seen how much he’ll participate. pic.twitter.com/XrLJuOokhq
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 21, 2019
Actually, if we’re being completely honest with ourselves here, team VP Stephen Jones continuing to work on a long-term deal with Zeke as if nothing happened isn’t that surprising. The Cowboys franchise has a reputation for overlooking these types of incidents if the player committing it is productive on the field.
Remember Greg Hardy? He brutally attacked his then-fiancee, pictures of the damage he inflicted hit social media, and the Cowboys kept him on their roster for the rest of that season anyway. Elliott knocking over a security guard at a music festival is nothing compared to what the Cowboys have seen in the past.
How would you punish Zeke Elliott after bodying a security guard into fence at EDC? pic.twitter.com/VMt3ETZYOv
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) May 20, 2019
The NFL has stated that another incident involving Elliott could lead to a suspension; some have speculated he could even be banned from the league if he can’t get himself right. Keep in mind that he already served a six-game suspension in 2017 due to an alleged domestic violence incident.
It would be hard to justify suspending him after this video, though. He was detained, but wasn’t deemed to have committed any criminal conduct.
Of course, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t still make every effort to rein in his behavior. He’s still young, and has a lot more football to play. The guy’s got to keep his nose clean.
