Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension for a domestic violence incident is indeed going to happen. At least that appears to be the case after his prelimary injunction stopping the NFL’s ruling was thrown out on Thursday afternoon.
The Dallas Cowboys running back’s suspension was halted from taking effect shortly before the 2017 season started, but on Thursday a federal court dismissed that injunction, leaving his legal team back at square one if they want to keep the back on the field for the rest of this season.
Though Elliott himself has been mostly mum about the court battles, it’s been a confusing summer and fall for the back’s chances of playing this year. Days before the start of the 2017 season a court ruled the NFL’s arbitration regarding the suspension was unfair.
That came after an investigation by the NFL that spanned more than a year, long enough that Elliott continued to get in trouble before his initial trouble could be ruled on. It certainly didn’t help the NFL’s final ruling in the case, though it set up a long legal process that seems to be nearing its end now.
BREAKING: Federal appeals court clears way for NFL's 6-game suspension of Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott in domestic case.
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 12, 2017
A suspension now seems more likely than ever for Elliott, a huge part of the Cowboys offensive attack. But there remain some legal hurdles the NFLPA and Elliott’s legal team will go through before the suspension actually takes effect.
This means Elliott and the NFLPA will file for an injunction in Sourhern District of New York. He needs it to keep playing.
— Kate Hairopoulos (@khairopoulos) October 12, 2017
If another injunction takes hold, Elliott can continue playing while the legal process plays out. But at this point it may just be delaying the inevitable.
