A federal judge granted Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott a preliminary injunction for his six-game suspension, clearing the way for him to play the entire 2017 season.
ESPN’s Josina Anderson was among the first to report that Ezekiel Elliott, star running back for the Dallas Cowboys, got the injunction he was looking for.
Breaking: #Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott has been granted on his request for a "preliminary injunction." pic.twitter.com/CifzXvgnyi
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) September 8, 2017
So what does this mean? Essentially, it means that Elliott, who had already been cleared to play Week 1 against the New York Giants, will be able to play the entire season—and there’s not a thing that clownface commissioner Roger Goodell can do about it.
Asked meaning of judge ruling that Ezekiel Elliott "did not receive a fundamentally fair hearing", source texted, "Zeke plays all year."
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2017
If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s because New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady followed a similar path to fight his four-game suspension in 2015 due to his alleged role in the Deflategate scandal. Brady was suspended, received a temporary injunction, played the entire season
Brady was suspended, appealed, received a temporary injunction in federal court and played the entire 2015 season, leading the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game where he was defeated by Peyton Manning. Ultimately, though, Brady decided to stop the legal process and served his four-game suspension to begin the 2016 season.
As we all remember, that ended pretty well for him.
While Elliott will get to play in 2017, it’s entirely possible that his story will end the same way Brady’s did—with the talented back accepting his punishment and sitting out the start of the 2018 regular season.
In the meantime, fans of the Dallas Cowboys and those brave enough to draft Elliott in fantasy football leagues can rejoice—Zeke is free. For now.
