Jerry Jones Accepts That Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott Will Miss Week 1 Due to Holdout

Jerry Jones: Zeke is going to miss regular season games because of contract dispute.

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones says star running back Ezekiel Elliott's contract dispute could last well into the regular season.

Elliott has missed all of training camp and seeks a new deal. His current contract has two years left on it. He is scheduled to make $3.853 million in base salary in 2019.

"I'm operating as though right now he's going to miss regular-season games," Jones said after the Cowboys preseason finale on Thursday. "My entire expectation for what we're putting together as a team right now would anticipate with him holding out and not having any training camp that he's going to miss games. I just accept that."

Jones said he has not spoken with Elliott.

"Zeke knows full well how valuable he is to our team," Jones said. "But he also knows because there's been a lot of games when he didn't play that he wants us to win if he's not playing. And we've got to be ready to win if he's not playing."

Elliott led the NFL in rushing last year, gaining 1,434 yards and scoring six touchdowns.

The Cowboys face division rival the New York Giants on Sept. 8.