Ezekiel Elliott suspension: Second Circuit court grants emergency stay

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is back on the field after the Second Circuit Court granted an NFLPA motion for a stay of his suspension.

Just days after a judge at the federal district court for the southern district of New York reinstated the Ezekiel Elliott suspension, the NFL Players Association has succeeded in delaying the effects of that suspension.

On Monday, Judge Katherine Polk Failla dissolved a temporary restraining order that had been levied against the suspension. Since then, Elliott has not been allowed in any team facilities or to have any contact with team personnel, and he stood to lose several game checks had he actually missed Dallas’ next six games due to the suspension.

After the NFLPA appealed Judge Failla’s ruling on Tuesday to the Second Circuit Court, it asked for a temporary injunction against the ruling pending that appeal, similar to that which Judge Anthony Mazzant had granted when he ruled on the case in the eastern district of Texas. Failla denied that request, however.

That’s what prompted the NFLPA to ask the higher court for an emergency stay. While in the short time, there is little difference between this and the injunction it sought, it’s what this could mean for the appeal that is important.

What this means is that until the Second Circuit Court hears the appeal and makes a ruling, the NFL is barred from enforcing Elliott’s suspension. Elliott is now free to communicate with team staff, play in games and practice with the team, although he is technically still suspended.

By granting the stay, the court has maybe given some insight to how it could rule on the appeal. Many of the arguments that the NFLPA made for why the court should grant the stay will also be made for the court to overturn the suspension altogether.

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If the circuit court upholds the district court ruling, then all this will have amounted to is a few more practice sessions for Elliott. The fact that the stay was granted should give Elliott some more hope for his overall case, however.