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Ezekiel Elliott has managed to keep his name in the headlines over the past year, but it seems like he’s garnered the most attention for his behavior off the field as opposed to his achievements on it. The Dallas Cowboys running back caught heat from team owner Jerry Jones when he visited a weed dispensary while the team was in Seattle, and he found himself in the spotlight again back in March after he pulled down a woman’s shirt during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
However, neither of those come close to the seriousness of an incident that allegedly occurred last summer when Elliott’s ex-girlfriend accused him of assaulting her while she was sitting in her car. The woman posted pictures on Instagram purportedly showing bruises stemming from the incident, but Elliott was never formally charged. At the time of the accusations, he denied any wrongdoing and said that he had text messages proving he was actually set up— an explanation the Cowboys apparently believed.
It would appear the NFL is a bit more skeptical. Elliott played all of last season, but according to Adam Schefter, the league— which has a notably poor track record when it comes to dealing with domestic violence— is still considering suspending Elliott for up to six games after conducting their own independent investigation.
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While prosecutors declined to press charges, Elliott had a hearing with Roger Goodell in late June, and if Mike Florio is to be believed, it’s only a matter of time until a suspension is announced— a decision that could come as early as today. However, it’s still unclear how many games the suspension would be for.
It’s worth noting that if he is suspended, Elliott could challenge the decision in court and hope that he’s a bit more successful than Tom Brady was.