The Ezekiel Elliott saga looks like one that has no end. It may seem like that, but the chances are that on Thursday it’s going to enter its final chapter. Dallas Cowboys running back has a three-judge panel from U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York that he will face on Thursday.
This court will finally rule whether Elliott is allowed to play while his case goes through the legal system. The emergency injunction that will be resolved in two days will decide his fate. If granted, he will play for the remainder of the season. What NFL wants is the denial of this injunction which would allow them to enforce the six-game suspension. So far, Cowboys player managed to avoid this scenario, as he has played in all eight games of this year.
Until the final decision is made, Elliott is allowed to practice with the team. The ruling will probably be made before the Sunday’s game against Atlanta Falcons. If an emergency injunction is rejected, Elliott might miss this duel.
The situation is now opposite from the last week. During the preparation for Chiefs game Elliott was forbidden to practice with the team, but in the end, he was cleared to play. This time around he is participating in the workouts while his availability for Falcons match is in the question.
Everyone in Dallas is acting as he is going to play, but nothing is for sure before the final ruling.
Coach Jason Garrett said: “We anticipate him being here [Tuesday] and practicing through the week until there is some decision made. But again, we’re going to focus on what we can control in that situation. Zeke has done a really good job of that. Until someone tells us otherwise, we’ll proceed accordingly.”
According to legal experts, this week should signal the end of the ride for one side. There are only a couple options left for Elliott to save the 2017 season. The party that ends up losing on Thursday could ask for a rehearing at 2nd Circuit, but these hearings are rarely granted.
The 2nd Circuit is the court where NFL won its battle against Tom Brady for Deflategate scandal. They are pushing for the same with Elliott. Stay tuned as we bring you updates.
