Jerry Jones: Teams don't need 'rushing champion to win a Super Bowl'

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones knows the value of an elite running back better than most.

Jones' three Super Bowl titles at the helm of America's Team - in the 1992, 1993, and 1995 seasons - all came with Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith leading Dallas' offense.

But when asked about the comparison between Smith and Ezekiel Elliott - who's currently holding out from training camp to force a new contract - in a Monday interview with CBS 11 Sports, Jones noted the 1992 campaign marked the first time a rushing champion ended the season lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

"The point there is, you don't have to have a rushing champion to win a Super Bowl … Emmitt was the first one to do it," Jones said.

Smith, the NFL's all-time rushing leader, repeated the feat in the Cowboys' following two championship runs. But since the Dallas legend, only fellow Hall of Famer Terrell Davis has ended the year with both a rushing title and a Super Bowl win (with the Denver Broncos in 1998), according to NFL Research.

Elliott, 24, has led the league in rushing in two of his three NFL seasons. He was suspended for six games in 2017, but still came close to notching 1,000 yards and was the clear No. 1 in yards per game among running backs.

Jones said "one of the dilemmas at running back" is that the league's teams know the position isn't necessarily vital to winning a title, and while Dallas wants to reward Elliott, it can't add to its Super Bowl collection without the financial flexibility to keep all its key pieces.

"You've gotta do all of the things, along with having Zeke, that allow you to have other players so that you can win the Super Bowl, and that's what we're going through," Jones said.

Elliott has two years and $12.95 million remaining on his contract. He's reportedly seeking a new pact that exceeds Todd Gurley's position-leading four-year, $57.5-million deal ($14.38 million annually).

With quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver Amari Cooper, and cornerback Byron Jones all heading into contract years, however, the Cowboys could face some tough decisions if they're to keep their talented core intact.