Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott doing contract negotiations the right way

While Ezekiel Elliott holds out for a new contract, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott continues to show up, work hard and prove he’s a team player.

It’s no secret the Dallas Cowboys have yet to sign several of their star players to new contracts. Two of those stars are running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott.

Both Elliott and Prescott are currently in contract negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys, and both are seeking to become the highest paid players at their positions. While their contract negotiations are similar in this regard, there’s one significant difference.

Elliott is seeking to become the highest paid running back in the NFL. He’s chosen to go about his contract negotiations by being away from the team. Elliott has yet to show up for training camp, and has indicated he refuses to do so until he gets the deal he’s looking for.

Elliott has chosen to go the route most star players in the NFL today go down. He’s not there for his team, and he doesn’t seem to care about being there at all. He seems perfectly content to train on his own while he waits out the situation. This is the route we as fans all hate. This is the route that makes players seem selfish and greedy. It’s the wrong way.

Prescott on the other hand, is handling his contract negotiations in a way not many star players in today’s NFL do. Instead of holding out for a new contract, Prescott is showing up to work every day.

Every single day, Prescott is there for his team. Every day, he’s proving why he’s their leader. Yes, Prescott is seeking to become the NFL’s highest paid quarterback, but he’s not letting the fact that he hasn’t received his deal yet stop him from being a team player and leader.

As the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Prescott knows he’s going to get his money. It really comes down to a matter of when he gets it. But that’s not the reason he’s showing up to Cowboys camp every day. Prescott has been there for his team from the very beginning, because he actually wants to be a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

Being a Dallas Cowboy actually means something to Prescott, and as their leader, he’s showing every single member of that team exactly what it means.

Elliott has not demonstrated this in any way, shape or form this offseason. Instead of demonstrating that he wants to be a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Elliott is demonstrating that he simply just cares about the money. As long as he gets paid, he doesn’t care what team he plays for.

Has Elliott earned a contract making him the NFL’s highest paid running back? Absolutely! Since entering the NFL in 2016, Elliott has led the league in rushing two out of three years. He’s totaled 4,048 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns to go along with 1199 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns, giving him a total of 5247 yards and 34 touchdowns in three seasons.

There’s no doubt Elliott has carried the load for the Dallas Cowboys since being drafted by the team.

Do the Cowboys want Elliott on their team? Of course they do! Will the Cowboys make Ezekiel Elliott the highest paid running back? I’m betting they will. Despite how good rookie running back Tony Pollard has looked in the preseason, this team can’t afford to lose the production Elliott brings.

Much like Prescott knows he’s going to get the deal he wants, Elliott should be confident he’s going to get his deal. Instead of holding out and demonstrating selfishness and lack of leadership, Elliott should follow the example his quarterback is setting and just show up already.

Us as fans can’t stand the drama queens. We can’t stand the players who complain until they get their money, and then once they get it, complain some more. Elliott is going down that path. Much like many of those drama queen’s, Elliott’s on the field production has been irreplaceable, but his off the field antics are demonstrating a lack of leadership.

In an NFL world where players don’t have any loyalty, don’t want to be team players or leaders, Prescott is outside the norm. He is doing everything right by showing up, leading his team and demonstrating that it’s not just about the money. Instead, Dak Prescott is doing everything in his power to prove why he’s worth the money, on and off the field.

As a Dallas Cowboys fan, all I can do is hope Elliott follows in the footsteps of his dedicated leader, Dak Prescott, and finally realizes there’s more to the game than himself and money.