“We’ve got a marathon here,” Jerry Jones said. “We want Zeke when we get to the playoffs. We want Zeke when we’re in the dog days of this season. … A fresh Zeke, if we got to the end, would be great.”

“We have to be prepared to play without any given player,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Wednesday, alluding to injuries and suspensions. “We may very well play without a player that’s not coming in on his contract. We’ll play and play well.”

As for Elliott’s off-the-field missteps, including one that led to a six-game suspension in 2017, Jones said those are not a factor in the negotiations.

“I’m very comfortable with everything off the field for Zeke,” Jones said.

Leave it to Jerry the spinmaster to accentuate the positive in this holdout. 

Meanwhile, the Cowboys will have to make it to the playoffs, which won’t be easy without Zeke. 

Want More From Sports Gossip? 

For all the latest breaking Sports Gossip, be sure to follow SportsGossip.com on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.