Dallas Cowboys NFL Trade and Roster Rumors: Ezekiel Elliott's Six-Game Suspension Stands After Losing Appeal

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Thursday, September 07, 2017

Looks like the Dallas Cowboys will have to make do without Ezekiel Elliott for a big chunk of the season.

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, arbitrator Harold Henderson has decided to uphold the six-game suspension handed down by the National Football League (NFL).

However, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero has reported that the league will allow Elliott to play in the Cowboys season opener against the New York Giants this Sunday before he serves his suspension. That's an interesting decision and the Giants can't be happy with that development.

United States District Court judge Amos Mazzant is set to rule the temporary restraining order (TRO) Elliott filed against the NFL to block the suspension by Friday at 6 p.m. ET, according to ESPN. If he does not grant the request, Elliott will have to sit out six games starting with the Cowboys' game against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 17.

The NFL has also filed a motion to deny Elliott's request for a TRO on Monday.

Meanwhile, Elliott's attorneys have released a statement in response to Henderson's decision to uphold the six-game suspension.

"The evidence that Mr. Elliott and his team presented on appeal clearly demonstrated that Mr. Elliott was the victim of a conspiracy orchestrated by the National Football League and its officers to keep exonerating evidence from the decision-makers, including the advisors and Roger Goodell. The only just decision was to overturn the suspension in its entirety," the statement states.

Interestingly, Henderson is a former NFL executive and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) had argued that he's not really an impartial arbitrator because of his connection with the league. He was also the arbitrator on Adrian Peterson case a couple of years back.

A lot of pundits disagree with the way the league handled the case, but like Peterson and Tom Brady before him, Elliott may have to serve the entirety of his suspension.