Another terrible news hit the Cowboys as Mike McCarthy just revealed a heartbreaking…
Ezekiel Elliott, a running back for the Dallas Cowboys who led the NFL in rushes as a rookie last season, has been suspended without pay for six games for breaking the league’s personal conduct policy.
Following a year-long investigation, the N.F.L. made its decision after evaluating Elliott’s actions during a six-day period in July 2016 when Tiffany Thompson, his ex-girlfriend, accused him of hitting her five times while he was playing for Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. Prosecutors determined that Thompson’s statements contradicted those made by Elliott and witnesses, so Elliott was not detained or charged. He was nevertheless nevertheless subject to league sanctions.
In addition, the N.F.L. letter to Elliott referenced an incident that happened in March at a St. Patrick’s Day parade, in which Elliott undid a woman’s shirt to reveal her breast, calling it “a lack of respect for women” and implying a “pattern of poor judgment and behavior.”
He has three days to file an appeal. Sept. 2 is when his suspension will start if he doesn’t file an appeal. On October 23, if he serves out the entire six games, he can rejoin the Cowboys.
The possibility of the league starting the season without a star player due to disciplinary action is increased by the suspension. The New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, was suspended for four games last year due to his involvement in the “Deflategate” incident, which involved the tampering of footballs during a playoff game in 2016.
This time, Roger Goodell, the league commissioner, and Jerry Jones, one of the most powerful owners in the league, might face off.
Recently, Elliott, 22, has been the subject of multiple defenses from Jones, who has stated that his investigation revealed “not one thing — that had anything to do with domestic violence.”
However, in a letter to Elliott, Todd Jones, the league’s special counsel for conduct, reportedly told him that the league’s group of advisers “were of the view that there is substantial and persuasive evidence supporting a finding that [Elliott] engaged in physical violence against Ms. Thompson on multiple occasions during the week of July 16, 2016,” according to statement from the NFL.
The league said that as part of its investigation, it spoke with over a dozen witnesses, including Thompson and Elliott, and looked through thousands of text messages and other electronic correspondence in addition to photographic evidence.
