Ezekiel Elliott has been suspended for the time being, again

The six-game suspension for Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is once again back on or the time being.

For the third time this season, Ezekiel Elliott has lost an appeal and has been handed a six-game suspension from the NFL. The suspension stems from allegations of domestic abuse, something that Elliott has denied but the league wants to punish him for.

Unfortunately, the details of the case have been lost in the shuffle of wondering whether or not Elliott will be eligible to play on a given Sunday. So far he’s outrun his suspension, winning injunctions that allow for more time to appeal.

Unlike the other times, this one appears to be sticking. Elliott has twice been told he can’t play, and both time he was able to get around the suspension by way of appeal. He seems to have run out of chances, however, and the suspension will likely (finally) begin.

This was the worst possible outcome for the Cowboys. Had Elliott taken the six-game suspension at the beginning of the season, he would be in a position right now to help the team try and secure a playoff spot. All signs point to Dallas having to play its next six games without a dynamic piece of its offense, a less than ideal circumstance.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that Elliott will again find a way to postpone his suspension for another week. According to SI.com legal expert Michael McCann, Elliott’s appeal of this most recent ruling will be heard on an expedited basis. That simply means we’ll have a definitive answer one way or another by Sunday afternoon. It doesn’t mean we are going to hear a ruling though, as expedited is open-ended and not an actual measurement of time.