Ezekiel Elliott to play Week Seven; Status afterwards unknown
Following the Dallas Cowboys bye week, running back Ezekiel Elliott is now allowed to play in Week Seven. His status beyond that is still unknown.
Prior to the start of the regular season, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was suspended by the NFL. After a year-long investigation, Elliott was deemed to have violated the league’s personal conduct policy due to alleged incidents of domestic violence that took place during July of 2016.
Therefore the NFL levied a six-game suspension on Elliott that was supposed to start Week One. But legal action taken by the second-year player’s representatives and the NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA) blocked that suspension for the first five games of the season, after a failed appeal attempt.
But last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2 to 1 to vacate the preliminary injunction that was holding back Elliott’s suspension, thus reinstating it. With the Cowboys on a bye week, the running back ended up not missing a game. Instead, the extra time allowed the NFLPA to file for another temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction, this time in New York.
On Tuesday, a federal judge granted that TRO, blocking the suspension for 14 days or until a ruling is made on the motion for a preliminary injunction. That decision is expected to come some time next week.
So what does this all mean for Elliott and the Cowboys? Well, you can expect to see Zeke on the field against the winless San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Beyond that, his playing status is unknown.
Although some, like ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, believe this recently legal action means Elliott will also be eligible to play against the Washington Redskins in Week Eight, it appears his status for that game could change depending upon the timing and ruling on the pending injunction.
So Ezekiel Elliott now gets to play next two weeks at SF, at Washington - with good chance to play even longer.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 18, 2017
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At the end of the day, the legal saga surrounding Ezekiel Elliott continues. And you have to believe his play and that of the 2-3 Dallas Cowboys has been negatively impacted by it. And there doesn’t appear to be any relief in sight.