Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension is still hovering above his head because during the arguments presentation which took place at the 5th Circuit US Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Monday; there was no ruling.
Dallas Cowboys running back was absent from the hearing, but he was represented by the NFLPA lawyer Jeffrey Kessler who spoke on Elliott’s behalf against the NFL attorney Pratik Shah. There were three judges listening to the arguments. The league requests an emergency stay of a lower court ruling which allowed Zeke to be on the field for the Cowboys while his six-game suspension is adjudicated in the courts.
This hearing was expected to be final, but it ended without a ruling, which puts Elliott in a delicate position as the case extends. However, according to Judge Edward C. Prado, the ruling should be just behind a corner, Dallas Morning News reports.
As expected judges asked both sides the questions, posts NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter. Judge Elrod inquired why the NFLPA filed suit in Texas before the conclusion of Elliott’s appeal to arbitrator Harold Henderson. She was also wondering why the NFLPA chose to file the lawsuit in Texas over New York. Kessler’s answer was hilarious but on point. He said that when a bulldozer is coming toward you “you don’t have to wait to be run over.”
On the other hand, Judge Graves wanted to know whether the league was pushed on the issue of irreparable harm and the NFL was also questioned on whether exhaustion was needed before the suit was filed.
The question right now is where to go from here? We are waiting for the official information, and in the meantime, Pelissero writes: “If no court ruling by tomorrow, does NFL let Ezekiel Elliott play Sunday regardless, like Week 1? No decisions until that decision, I’m told.”
