Ezekiel Elliott back in Dallas as new deal is "very close" with Cowboys

The month-long holdout of Ezekiel Elliott could be coming to an end as the running back returned to Dallas on Tuesday evening in anticipation of a deal getting done.

Photos of Elliott boarding a flight in Mexico circulated on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon and an American Airlines flight from Cabo San Lucas landed about 4:45 p.m. at DFW Airport. Elliott walked through the doors of the DFW international terminal arrival area just before 5:30 p.m. and was promptly swarmed by media and some fans.

When asked by reporters waiting for him at DFW if he's ready to join his teammates, Zeke simply responded: "I've been ready."

Elliott's agent, Rocky Arceneaux, told reporters that both sides are "very close" to getting a deal completed.

“I think Zeke showed his commitment by coming back to Dallas," Arceneaux said.

ESPN and ProFootballTalk both reported that a deal is not officially done, but it is closer than it has been. But there’s still additional work to do before negotiations conclude, both outlets said.

ProFootballTalk cited sources that the deal would be for six years and $90 million, but there have been no confirmed numbers.

Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday morning on his weekly radio show on 105.3 FM (The Fan) that work continues on negotiations.

“We’ll see how today goes and we’ll see how tomorrow goes. We'll see how the ensuing hours pan out,” Jones said.

Elliott didn’t show up to training camp in Oxnard, Calif. and missed the entire preseason during his holdout. Elliott has two years left on his rookie deal: $3.9 million for this season and $9.1 million for the 2020 season.

There’s a greater sense of urgency to get a deal done, as the Cowboys open the regular season on Sunday vs. the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. The game starts at 3:15 p.m. on FOX4.