If an appeals court rules the NFL’s way, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott could begin a six-game suspension as early as Monday night’s game against the Cardinals.
Despite previous talk that the league wouldn’t suspend a player later in the week than Tuesday because teams need time to game plan, NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said today that he wouldn’t rule out the league beginning Elliott’s suspension immediately, if an appeals court allows the league to do so.
The NFL is currently waiting on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to rule on its motion to stay the injunction that blocks Elliott’s six-game suspension. If that ruling were to come down today, that would mean Elliott could find out today that he’s suspended for Week Three. Theoretically, a ruling could even be handed down Monday afternoon, and the NFL could suspend Elliott for that night’s game.
The NFL hasn’t specifically stated that Elliott will be suspended immediately if it wins the stay of Elliott’s injunction, just that the league reserves the right to do so. Which means the Cowboys and Elliott will simply have to cross their fingers and hope the league doesn’t suspend Elliott immediately before a game.