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Ezekiel Elliott is willing to take a pay cut on his $10.9 million salary to stay with the Dallas Cowboys as a “reduced salary may fit him better in his plans” amid competition from Tony Pollard.
Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott is reportedly willing to take a pay cut to stay with the Dallas Cowboys, according to the Dallas Morning Star.
Elliot is currently slated to earn a salary of $10.9 million in 2023, but he “understands that a reduced salary may fit him better into the franchise’s plans.”
Dallas made the Ohio State product the highest-paid running back in the league with a six-year, $90 million contract extension in 2019, and keeps him attached to the team through 2027.
Ezekiel Elliott is reportedly willing to take a pay cut to stay with the Dallas Cowboys.
The three-time professional bowler was asked about his future with the Cowboys after Sunday’s game.
“I’ve definitely thought about it,” said Elliott, who signed his six-year extension in 2019 after a dispute. ‘I want to be here.
‘I don’t have a crystal ball; I can’t tell you the future. But I definitely want to be here.
Early in his career, after being drafted by the Cowboys, Elliott displayed the ability to be one of the league’s best all-around rushers after leading the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns as a rookie in 2016.
He would then go on to lead the NFL again with 1,434 rushing yards in 2018 and made his third career Pro Bowl in his fourth season in 2019.
However, Elliott’s production of late has been trending in the wrong direction, as his 3.8 yards per carry and 58.4 yards per game were career lows for the 27-year-old. He also looked less explosive than Dallas’ other running back, Tony Pollard, who outplayed him on the ground by a wide margin this season.
Elliott had career-low numbers in terms of average yards per carry and yards per game for Dallas
Despite the dip in his overall production, he still led the team with 12 rushing touchdowns.
Elliott finished the year with 876 yards and 12 touchdowns on 231 carries in 15 games played, while Pollard finished the year with 1007 and nine touchdowns on 193 carries in 16 games played.
However, Elliott’s marked drop in yardage this season may be related to the health of the Cowboys’ offensive line and their lack of blocking efficiency in the running game after right tackle Terence’s ACL tear. Steele on December 11.
Dalla’s running game averaged 4.8 yards per carry with Steele on the field in 2022 compared to 3.3 yards without him, including the postseason. Elliott’s efficiency went from 4.3 to 2.6 yards, with and without Steele.
Things got even worse for Elliot in the playoffs when he had 27 yards on 13 carries in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 26 yards on 10 carries in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Elliott and the front office have time to come to an agreement and probably won’t be in a rush to discuss the potential pay cut, but they probably will before the start of the new league year on March 15.
Both sides may have more motivation given the recent news that Pollard suffered a fractured right fibula and high ankle against the 49ers and is scheduled to undergo surgery this week that will require a three-month recovery period.
Tony Pollard, who outplayed Elliott, suffered a broken fibula in Sunday’s playoff loss.