Ezekiel Elliott Will Play Sunday After Court of Appeals Ruling
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will play in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs after a ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The court granted the NFLPA a stay of the previous ruling reinstating Elliott’s six-game suspension for domestic violence. The court also granted the NFLPA an expedited appeal to be heard by a three-judge panel.
The stay only lasts through Sunday meaning Elliott will be suspended again after the Chiefs game, pending the result of his appeal. If the suspension is not overturned, he would not be eligible to play again until Week 16.
Elliott’s suspension was reinstated late Monday night by a U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of New York, who cited the precedent set by the Tom Brady Deflategate case.
When asked if he ever considered simply accepting the six-game suspension, Elliott said he hadn’t, because the suspension is “bigger than football.”
“It’s them trying to make me something that I’m not,” Elliott said, per DallasCowboys.com's David Helman. “I’m not an abuser. That’s not who I am. This is my name, this is my reputation.”
Elliott’s guilt or innocence, though, is not the heart of the ongoing legal proceedings. The prolonged courtroom battle is over whether or not the NFL has the authority under the current CBA to issue such a suspension.
The Cowboys’ game against the Chiefs will be CBS’s featured game of the week in the late window, airing in most markets across the country.
Elliott is averaging 98.6 yards per game this season and is tied for the league lead with six rushing touchdowns.
