Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was in New York Thursday for the latest round of his legal battle against the NFL.
Elliott was there for a 1 p.m. Central Time hearing in front of a three-judge panel in the 2nd Circuit Court. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett told reporters Wednesday that there was a strong likelihood Elliott would be in New York to attend the hearing, causing him to miss practice.
Garrett says there’s a likelihood Zeke Elliott could be in New York for his latest legal hearing; no final decision yet.#DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/vbqa0JsLRy
— Joe Trahan (@JoeTrahan) November 8, 2017
The Cowboys thought if there was even a small chance that Elliott being there would bring about a favorable outcome, then it was worth him making the trip.
Elliott missed Cowboys’ final padded practice of the week before a road bout with the Atlanta Falcons Sunday.
The 2nd Circuit Court last week granted Elliott an administrative stay to again halt his six-game suspension.
If the 2nd Circuit court grants Elliott an emergency injunction, he will continue to play. If the injunction is denied, the path is cleared for him to start serving his suspension, which stems from domestic violence allegations made against him the week of his 21st birthday last year in Ohio.
Judges in the 5th Circuit court of New Orleans and in the Southern District of New York have denied Elliott injunctive relief and thus reinstated his suspension, but Zeke’s legal team has continued to appeal the case allowing the NFL’s second-leading rusher to stay on the field for all eight games this season.
Elliott missed Wednesday and Thursday practices last week before the Chiefs game.
The second-year running back said the time off actually turned out to be beneficial following a 33-carry performance against Washington in which he took a physical pounding late in the game while trying to protect the football in rainy conditions. He ran for 93 yards and a touchdown against Kansas City.
Contributing: Landon Haaf