After more than 40 days holding out in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in hopes of a new contract, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott got what was most important to him.
Elliott said it was important to him to be the highest paid running back in the NFL. Then, he was asked why.
"Because I believe I'm the best," he said.
Elliott has bested the rest of the NFL in rushing yards in two of his three pro seasons. He did not lead the league in rushing in 2017 when he was suspended for six games.
While the 2017 suspension put him in a position to rejoin the team in the middle of the regular season, he still participated in training camp.
"I think it was a little bit different, just because I got to start the season," Elliott said. "So, I was able to get in the groove of things."
Through the holdout, Elliott said some of his teammates encouraged him to continue to stay away until he had agreed to a new contract. When he arrived back in Frisco Wednesday, his teammates celebrated his return.
"We're a close-knit group and it goes way farther than football," Elliott said. "We actually love each other. We're a family. We understand each other and have great respect for each other."
"We love Zeke," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. "He's been a great player for us and has such great juice and such great energy. I think everybody was excited to have him back."
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Excited to have him back, just in time for Week 1 against the New York Giants, where the expectation is Elliott will be ready to go with close to a full workload right away.
