Ezkiel Elliott may still have to serve the full six-game suspension he was handed down by the NFL this season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s starting right at the beginning.
Fans of teams on the early part of the Dallas Cowboys’ 2017 NFL schedule were no doubt cheering the fact that running back Ezekiel Elliott was hit with a six-game suspension — though not the circumstances of that suspension, given that it stemmed from allegations of domestic violence.
Alas, New York Giants fans, you might not want to celebrate too much.
That’s because Elliott is expected to play in Week 1 for the Giants at Cowboys tilt on Sunday night. Why? Mostly, it has to do with how long it took arbitrator Harold Henderson to rule on Elliott’s appeal of the suspension, which he said took some time because of the amount of material both sides introduced.
As reported from the courtroom by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the ruling simply came too late for the suspension to begin in Week 1, even though it was upheld:
Just got out of court and got phone back. NFL took position Ezekiel Elliott CAN play Sunday. Judge rules by 5 pm Friday on restraining order
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 6, 2017
On top of that, there’s still a chance that Zeke could play in all 16 games for Dallas if the courts rule in his favor on the restraining order that Pelissero referenced, which would vacate the suspension. It’s tough to determine right now if that’s a likely outcome or not, but it’s definitely possible.
Next: See the full 2017 NFL season preview
Even if Elliott ends up missing six games, that’s going to come as small consolation to Giants fans, who will have to see their team face the full offensive might of the defending NFC East champions Sunday night — and possibly with a gimpy Odell Beckham, who’s still battling an injury. That might seem unfair, but the wheels of justice sometimes spin slowly, even when it comes to matters that deal with football.