Will Dallas Cowboys' RB Ezekiel Elliott Play In Week 1?

Even though Ezekiel Elliott was suspended for six games in the 2017 NFL season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, the running back might still be on the field in Week 1 when the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants. Not only has Elliott appealed the ruling, but the NFL Players Association has now filed a restraining order, according to ESPN, asking courts to block the suspension if it’s upheld by NFL arbitrator Harold Henderson.

Following Thursday’s hearing that concluded Elliott’s appeal, the NFLPA contended there was a conspiracy by league executives to hide information from their investigation into Elliott’s domestic violence case.

The restraining order comes on the heels of the testimony of Kia Wright Roberts, the NFL’s director of investigations. As the only league employee that interviewed Elliott’s accuser, Roberts said the evidence she found didn’t warrant any suspension for the running back.

Roberts testified that she informed Lisa Friel, who investigates domestic violence cases for the NFL, but she wasn’t allowed to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell or other advisors.

“During the course of the past 13 months and culminating in the last three days of the appeal process, we have witnessed some of the most egregious violations of legal due process in connection with the NFL's investigation of Mr. Elliott,” Elliott's attorneys Frank Salzano and Scott Rosenblum said in a statement.

“Not only did the underlying facts not support the false allegations made against Mr. Elliott, but the process in which they were gathered and adjudicated were fundamentally unfair. Mr. Elliott looks forward to being completely vindicated and will continue to explore all other legal options to redress the reputational and monetary harm that he has suffered.”

The NFL denied the claims that the investigation was unfair.

"The idea that this was a conspiracy is false," Lockhart said. "The credibility issues were addressed at length in the investigative report. Kia Roberts' points were made very clearly. The 160-page report included a fulsome description of the credibility problems of both Tiffany Thompson and Ezekiel Elliott."

This is just the latest battle between the NFLPA and the league over Elliott’s suspension.

Not only has Elliott not legally been charged with anything related to the case, but there have been reports indicating that his accuser, Tiffany Thompson, harassed him and considered blackmailing him with sex tapes. The NFL accused the NFLPA of victim shaming and spreading information to “discredit the victim.”

The NFLPA fired back, claiming the league was not telling the truth.

“The public statement issued on behalf of every NFL owner is a lie. The NFLPA categorically denies the accusations made in this statement,” read a statement from the NFLPA.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, there is pressure on Henderson to make a decision on Elliott’s appeal by Monday. The NFL season kicks off Thursday night, and the Cowboys make their regular-season debut on Sept. 10 on “Sunday Night Football.”

In his rookie season, Elliott led the NFL with 1,631 rushing yards, finishing more than 300 yards ahead of the second-leading rusher. Dallas won 13 games and the NFC East in 2016, losing to the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the playoffs.