The NFL’s legal battle against Ezekiel Elliott is very far from over.
The Dallas Cowboys running back currently is eligible to play after being granted a preliminary injunction request to put his six-game suspension on hold. On Monday morning, however, the league appealed Elliott’s injunction to the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, attorney Daniel Wallach reported.
The NFL’s appeal was expected, as the league would like to see Elliott’s suspension upheld and activated as soon as possible. But it might be some time before we get a ruling either way; per Wallach, the median duration of an appeal in Fifth Circuit court is nearly nine months, which would be well into the 2018 offseason.
The league also might file an “emergency stay” to try to speed up the process, but Wallach notes such an action is unlikely to succeed. In fact, Wallach points out Elliott’s chances of remaining eligible for the rest of the regular season are quite high.
Of course, there still is a very recent, very prominent example of a federal court ruling in favor of the NFL: The U.S. Second Court of Appeals ruled to reinstate Tom Brady’s four-game suspension for Deflategate prior to the 2016 season after it initially was vacated by Judge Richard Berman.
Elliott’s domestic violence allegations are much different, though, and he may have to serve his suspension at some point. But this case could drag on for a while, meaning there’s a strong chance second-year Cowboys star stays on the field all season.
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
