Ezekiel Elliott Suspended: The Facts and Implications for the Dallas Cowboys
Examining how Ezekiel Elliot’s behavior resulted in his six-game suspension and how the Cowboys will move forward in his absence
It seems like just yesterday that the NFL and its fans were up in arms regarding Michael Vick’s dog fighting issues or Ray Rice’s domestic violence case. And since, the NFL has seemingly tightened its grip on players’ actions both on and off the field. Fines seem to be handed out for the slightest of infractions and suspensions are increasingly more common. And in the case of Dallas Cowboys’ running back Ezekiel Elliott, this too became a familiar reality.
On Aug. 11, Elliot, the reigning rushing leader, was issued a suspension of 6 games without pay. Pending any type of appeal, Zeke’s suspension will begin Sept. 2, keeping him off the field until Week 8 when the Cowboys play the Washington Redskins on the road. This suspension is the result of a year-long investigation into domestic violence accusations against Elliott by his ex-girlfriend, Tiffany Thompson.
Whether or not Elliott should be punished has seemingly turned into an argument not of morality or justice, but of opinion and perspective, as noted in a response from Elliott’s attorneys:
On one hand, the Columbus City Attorney’s office stated that due to “conflicting and inconsistent information” charges would not be pursued against Elliott. This, however, does not stop NFL officials who are able to penalize players even in the absence of legal charges. Furthermore, it has been quite public knowledge from both owner, Jerry Jones, and CEO, Stephen Jones, that a suspension was not expected.
Teammates have also rallied around the sophomore running back in anticipation that Elliott would be on the active roster come the Cowboys’ season opener at home against the New York Giants on Sept. 10.
However, a suspension did come and it came with a hefty cost. In a letter from the NFL to Elliott explaining the suspension, they issued a six-game sentence without pay and threated the possibility of banishment from the league if future incidents occur.
As noted in the letter, three altercations of domestic violence were found against Elliott in relation to his former girlfriend. Another incident of “inappropriate and disturbing” behavior that occurred during a St. Patrick’s Day parade was deemed questionable and held against Elliott. Finally, although not directly linked to the decision, it seems Commissioner Roger Goodell was not pleased with Elliott’s forthrightness during the investigations.
Now, there seems to be quite a bit of “he said, she said” in this case, however, the fact remains that Elliott has been suspended for nearly half of the regular season. This leaves the question of what’s next for the Dallas Cowboys.
It is no secret that the Cowboys love Elliott, as the support through this ordeal has demonstrated. The anger that has resulted, namely from Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett is not so much directed at the 22-year-old star, but at the league itself.
This investigation has been a year-long process, so tempers will flare at some point, but in the meantime, Elliott has chosen to recognize his mistakes and move forward with an appeal.
There is a good chance that the suspension will be upheld. Perhaps it might be shortened, but based on the findings and conclusions presented to Elliott, it seems fairly evident that the league will not tolerate these shorts of behavioral outbursts.
So what’s next? Should America’s Team be expected to lie down and hope for the best through the first 7 weeks of the 2017 season?
Dallas Cowboys writer David Helman would suggest otherwise. Without a doubt, the loss of Elliott will make things a bit more challenging as these 2016 stats might imply.
Yet, as difficult as this upcoming season appears to be, the Cowboys can only hope to move forward. The offensive leaders that remain must step up and make plays. The young, fresh defense needs to play hard and smart to help the team win games. And the fans need to pray to the football gods for history to repeat itself.
