Emmitts hold out didn’t bother Troy or affect their chemistry.
Players know it’s a business.
Zeke can’t afford to miss games and hold out. He is stuck if Jerry plays hardball.
Zeke needs to accrue one more season before he can really demand a bigger new contract.
Sitting this year and he’s in the same situation next year still needing one more year.
If both Zeke and Jerry play hardball, Zeke loses in one of many ways, but Zeke loses every time.
If Zeke holds out, Jerry doesn’t budge, Zeke sits a year and we do it again with Zeke having zero more leverage, actually less bc now he’s infuriated everyone and not played in a year.
Zekes only hope is to play on Jerry’s good graces, which I think he is testing.
No one thinks Zeke is as indispensable to our team more than I do, but no way I’m paying him as much as he wants without getting some serious concessions in return. I’d make the contract no more than five years with very little dead money at the end so cutting him if his shelf life expires in four...we move on without cost.
My prediction is that Zeke signs and plays week 1, he will only lose big otherwise.
Once he’s taking handoffs, he and Dak will be fine.