Thanks to a temporary restraining order against his six-game suspension, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will continue playing for the time being
The NFL filed an appeal in response to the temporary restraining order recently granted to the NFL players’ union, which allows Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to continue playing rather than serve a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
The three-page notice was filed Monday with the Fifth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals, and requests an immediate stay of the temporary restraining order granted by federal Judge Amos Mazzant on Friday evening.
The NFL suspended Elliott in early August after a year-long investigation concluded he used physical force against ex-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson prior to his rookie season in the summer of 2016. He appealed, and although arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld the league’s suspension, Elliott has been allowed to continue because Mazzant determined that Elliott did not receive a fair appeal hearing—hence, the restraining order.
Elliott was never charged by Ohio prosecutors and has denied the allegations under oath.
The NFL filed appealed to the Fifth Circuit, requesting an immediate stay of the temporary restraining order granted by Judge Amos Mazzant, which allows Elliott to continue playing
The NFL will need to continue filing with the Fifth Circuit, explaining why they believed Mazzant’s ruling was wrong. Eventually the league hopes to convince a panel of judges to reverse the decision, allowing the NFL to enforce the six-game suspension.
Mazzant set a filing deadline for Friday at 6 p.m. EST.
Whether or not that panel will review the NFL’s argument before the season ends remains a mystery.
One of the NFL players union’s main objections about the appeal process is that the league’s lead investigator Kia Roberts questioned the credibility of Thompson and did not recommend the league follow through with a suspension for Elliott.
“We are very pleased that Mr. Elliott will finally be given the opportunity to have an impartial decision-maker carefully examine the NFL’s misconduct,” Elliott’s attorneys said in a statement Friday night. “This is just the beginning of the unveiling of the NFL’s mishandling as it relates to Mr. Elliott’s suspension.”
In response to Mazzant’s ruling, the NFL issued its own statement on Friday: ‘We strongly believe that the investigation and evidence supported the Commissioner’s decision and that the process was meticulous and fair throughout. We will review the decision in greater detail and discuss next steps with counsel, both in the district court and federal court of appeals.’
Elliott claimed that Thompson threatened to ‘ruin’ his life after he tried to break up with her
Tiffany Thompson posted photographs to Instagram, claiming they were caused from physical abuse by Elliott, her ex-boyfriend
Elliott denied accusations of domestic abuse while under oath during an appeal hearing for his six-game suspension in August
In a separate lawsuit, the NFL players’ union claimed the league’s appeal process was ‘fundamentally unfair’ since Henderson denied a request to have Thompson testify at Elliott’s appeal hearing.
Furthermore, that lasuit claimed that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives hid information that was favorable to Elliott’s case.
‘In what may mark one of the most fundamentally unfair arbitral processes conceivable, Elliott and the Union were subjected to an arbitration process in which, among other things, there was a League-orchestrated conspiracy by senior NFL executives, including NFL Senior Vice President and Special Counsel for Investigations Lisa Friel, to hide critical information—which would completely exonerate Elliott,’ read the NFLPA’s petition.
According to Elliott, Thompson intended to ‘ruin’ his life after he tried to break up with her, as reported by The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
‘You are a black male athlete,’ Elliott claimed Thompson told him, according to the report. ‘I’m a white girl. They are not going to believe you.’
Elliott gained 104 yards on 24 carries Sunday, helping the Cowboys beat the visiting New York Giants 19-3 in the regular-season opener
Elliott’s presence turned out to be a difference maker for the Cowboys in Sunday’s season-opening win against the visiting New York Giants as the former Ohio State star gained 104 yards on 24 carries.
“Just relieved for the fact that I finally get a fair trial,” Elliott told reporters after the 19-3 win. “I finally get a chance to prove my innocence and just happy that I’ll get to be with the guys for as long as permitted and not miss time and not having to be away from them.
‘I’ve kind of stopped worrying about it because it’s not in my hands,’ the 22-year-old Elliott added.