The NFL won a court battle on Thursday when a three-judge panel from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the injunction blocking the league’s six-game suspension of Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott must be vacated.
That allowed the NFL to reinstate the suspension and the league announced in a statement that they are doing just that. The Cowboys are on a bye this week, so Elliott’s suspension would run through their Thanksgiving game.
“Earlier today, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the preliminary injunction that prohibited the league from imposing the six-game suspension issued to Ezekiel Elliott for a violation of the Personal Conduct Policy. The Court also directed the district court to dismiss the union’s lawsuit which was filed on Elliott’s behalf. As a result, Elliott’s suspension will begin effective immediately. Elliott is eligible to return to the team on Friday, November 24 following the Cowboys’ Thursday, November 23 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.”
There are options for Elliott to continue the legal fight and there’s been no indication that he plans to drop it, so the suspension may not ultimately play out in the manner the league laid out on Thursday.