Ezekiel Elliott drops appeal, will serve six-game suspension
Ezekiel Elliott’s legal battle with the NFL is over.
In a statement released by his agents, Elliott announced that his appeal against the NFL is being dropped and he will serve out the entirety of his six game suspension effective immediately.
Big news: #Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott is withdrawing his appeal, his agents Rocky Arceneaux and Frank Salzano tell me. Elliott will serve his full 6-game suspension. The statement: pic.twitter.com/BV3jPyX4ap
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 15, 2017
Timing almost certainly plays a factor. By ending his appeal now, Elliott will be able to return Dec. 24 against the Seattle Seahawks, which would also mean that, should the Cowboys make the playoffs, he’d be back in time and get two regular season games under his belt to prepare himself.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also noted that, by the time Elliott’s pending legal matters were resolved, he’d have served most, if not all, of the suspension anyway.
Ezekiel Elliott withdrew his appeal because, legally speaking, the case was unlikely to be resolved before the six games were served. So now he will take them and return Dec. 24.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 15, 2017
Elliott has explained previously why he had no intention of ending his legal proceedings to fight the suspension, but that has obviously changed. The realities of the situation have likely outweighed his desire to prove his innocence.
