With Ezekiel Elliott suspended, un-suspended, suspended and un-suspended yet again, there may finally be an ability to find common ground for representatives of Elliott and the NFL to reach a settlement in the ongoing legal saga over his playing status.
According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, Elliott’s camp and the NFL have discussed potential settlements of the case. The recent motion granting a temporary restraining order puts the case in a state of limbo.
Elliott is again eligible to play this week for Dallas against the San Francisco 49ers after the TRO was issued by a New York district court on Tuesday.
As the suspension has been applied and halted at various points, each side could claim the higher ground in the case and, therefore, have little incentive to reach a settlement. With the TRO in place until Oct. 30, or until Judge Katherine Polk Failla returns to the bench to hear new arguments (she was on vacation and the TRO hearing was handled by another judge), there is a lull in activity that could spur more substantial discussions surrounding a settlement that could reduce the number of games of Elliott’s suspension and allow the NFL to keep a stranglehold on Roger Goodell’s ability to impose discipline as he sees fit.
For now, Elliott remains in uniform for the Cowboys.