Jerry Jones has been playing the negotiation game with Ezekiel Elliott through the media as the star running back seeks a lucrative extension.
The Dallas Cowboys owner has talked about how you “don’t have to have a rushing champion to win a Super Bowl.” He’s use rookie running back Tony Pollard as a pawn and then joked with the media by saying, “Zeke who?” after Pollard had another good preseason performance.
When Elliott — through his agent Rocky Arceneaux — found that joke “disrespectful,” that’s when Jones turned serious.
After a press conference for a Jaylon Smith contract extension filled with clear references from Jones to the Elliott situation, the owner had this to say about his “Zeke who?” remark:
“I’ve earned the right with Zeke to joke. Period. I’ve earned that.”
Whatever he’s referencing — many have speculated he’s talking about defending Elliott when the running back was suspended in 2017 — it’s still a step too far.
It’s Jones putting his foot down to remind Elliott and everyone else that while players make millions of dollars, he and other owners make billions. That’s ultimately what might make him feel he has “the right” to joke about Elliott.
It reminds me of what also happened on Tuesday, when Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores played eight consecutive Jay-Z songs to kick off practice after receiver Kenny Stills criticized the rapper’s partnership with the NFL. That has a similar feel to what Jones said: Don’t forget who’s in charge here, and it’s not you.
Jones needs to take a step back here. We know he’s playing the game through the media, and we’ve seen that play out with other NFL owners and holdout players. But you don’t need to remind Elliott — and the Dolphins brass doesn’t need to do the same with Stills — who pays the bills.
Everyone already knows.
