by Cambree Bernkopf

The moment we’ve all been waiting for: Ezekiel Elliott ends the long-lasting drama and finally signs to the Dallas Cowboys. The 24-year-old wanted to be the highest-paid NFL player as a running back and has met his financial goal after agreeing to terms with the team. By signing to a six year contract, he made a $90 million extension with $50 million guaranteed. There definitely has to be a reason why Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dropped about $100 million on this young running back. 

During the offseason, Elliott held out during the preseason and refused to play during the training camp until he was the highest-paid running back. The coaches had another alternative player, Tony Pollard, but the Cowboys wanted and needed Elliott. A year without Elliott would have been a nightmare for most Dallas fans. According to The New York Times, “He led the league in yards per game in each of his three seasons and is a dependable workhorse, likely to rush 300 times and catch 50 passes as long as he stays healthy.” 

After Jerry Jones gave in to Ezekiel, the Cowboys are ecstatic to have him playing for them for the next six years. Elliott was a college football player at The Ohio State University where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015. Even in college he was a major game changing player. According to The Bleacher Report, “In a matchup between two college football powers with no shortage of stars on either sideline, it was Elliott who shined the brightest, totaling 230 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State’s 42-35 win over the Crimson Tide.”