File this away in the to be continued column of the world of sports. According to multiple sources, former Ohio State and current Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott did not accompany the team on a chartered flight to Los Angeles. Once in L.A., the team was then scheduled to travel to training camp in Oxnard, California for training camp.
It is unclear on whether Elliott is planning on flying on his own like some players do, or if his absence is a foreshadowing of his intentions to create leverage for contract negotiations. Either way, he has until Friday morning to report, or he will be considered a holdout.
Jane Slater of the NFL Network first broke the news.
The former Buckeye star has two-years left on his contract but he may want to negotiate a new deal prior to starting the season so that he can be secure and get it behind him heading into the season. Other players like former Buckeye Michael Thomas and Chargers running back Melvin Gordon have taken the same route, and one has to wonder if Elliott has seen that and decided to do the same.
The move is a little disturbing because Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett had previously stated that he expected Elliott to be on the flight. One has to wonder if the communication is breaking down and who’s really running the show at this point.
Either way, we’ll have more news on this as it breaks.
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