FRISCO, Texas – As expected, the Cowboys are picking up the fifth-year option on Ezekiel Elliott's rookie contract.
Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones told reporters last week that the team would "obviously" exercise the option to keep the Pro Bowl running back in Dallas through the 2020 season.
Elliott, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, has led the league in rushing in two of his first three seasons. He managed to finish 10th in rushing in 2017 (983 yards) despite missing six games due to league suspension.
Last year, Elliott posted a league-best 1,434 rushing yards and added a career-best 77 catches for 567 yards. Consistently managing a heavy workload, he has yet to miss an NFL game due to injury.
Elliott is among a group of Cowboys Pro Bowlers that the club wants to sign long-term. At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Jones told reporters, "We've got it budgeted that we're going to pay Zeke a significant contract at some point. He's right there at the top with the best of the business, if not the best."
