Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott on $90M contract: 'I believe I'm the best'

Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott said it was important to him to be the NFL's highest-paid tailback due to his talent level.

"It was [important]," Elliott told reporters Wednesday. "Because I believe I'm the best."

Elliott, who signed a six-year, $90 million contract extension with the Cowboys earlier Wednesday, surpassed Los Angeles Rams star Todd Gurley as the league's highest-paid running back. Gurley had been the top-paid tailback with $45 million guaranteed and a $14.375 million average salary.

Elliott's contract includes a running-back record $50 million in guarantees. His deal will run through the 2026 season and will include more than $100 million in total compensation.

The 24-year-old running back, who was training in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, during his holdout, returned to Dallas with his agent Tuesday and began to work toward a long-term agreement. Elliott said it was "super hard" to train away from his teammates the last five weeks.

"Just not being there. Where I was, I was isolated," Elliott said. "I ate about the same food every day and things got old real quick. It was just mentally draining."

Elliott returned to the practice field Wednesday after agreeing to terms with the Cowboys. It was his first work with the team since the mid-June minicamp.

"I feel good," Elliott said. "I'm excited to be back. I'm excited to be back on the field. I'm excited to go win some ballgames."

The Cowboys selected Elliott with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. Since joining the league, he leads the NFL with 4,048 rushing yards, despite missing eight games.