The Dallas Cowboys or Ezekiel Elliott: Who will blink first?

Player Example

For lifelong Cowboys fans, we’ve spent many hours debating who was better, Emmitt Smith or Detroit Lions Hall of Fame Running Back Barry Sanders. It’s a great conversation to have, but entering the 1993 season, the highest-paid player at the position was actually Buffalo Bills Running Back, Thurman Thomas.

Thomas was one of the best dual-threat running backs in the history of the NFL and while he was never in the conversation for league-best, his impact on that Bills K-gun offense could not be overstated.  Per a nytimes.com article, in 1993, he signed a four-year,  $13.5 million deal topping that of Sanders making him the highest-paid in the league.

Emmitt had led the league in rushing for the best team in football and wanted to be paid higher than Thomas per Vito Stillino’s baltimoresun.com piece. The 0-2 start for the team forced Jerry Jones’ hand and he made the deal.

For Elliott, he is widely regarded at the most complete back in the NFL but his contract doesn’t show that reality. According to Statista, the average NFL career for running backs is only 2.57 years, so players have to maximize their earnings, when possible.

Current New York Jet and former Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Le’Veon Bell has set the market with a four-year, $52 million deal per Kaelon Stiller’s si.com article. This is the likely benchmark for Elliott but doesn’t seem to fit the Cowboys new way of doing business.