Jones prepared for Zeke to miss games, wants him back for playoffs

On Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had nothing new to report in regards to contract negotiations with holdout Ezekiel Elliott.

And with the regular-season opener less than two weeks away, Jones appeared to accept the fact that his team could be without its Pro Bowl running back.

"We've got a marathon here. We want Zeke when we get to the playoffs. We want Zeke when we're in the dog days of the season," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan.

Jones added that the Cowboys are prepared to move forward without Elliott.

"We may very well play without a player that's not coming in on his contract," he said.

Elliott has two years remaining on his current deal, but he's looking to be among the top-paid running backs in the NFL.

When asked about the lack of progress in contract talks, Jones insisted that Elliott's previous off-field incidents have not held up discussions.

"I'm very comfortable off the field with Zeke," Jones said. "He certainly has had two or three issues, that's not a factor here."