The NFL is still investigating the domestic violence allegations against Ezekiel Elliott that were made by the rookie’s ex-girlfriend, but Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones remains confident that his first-round pick did nothing wrong.
Tim Rohan of The MMQB provided some details on what the NFL’s process entails when it comes to investigating domestic violence claims. While no charges were filed in July when Tiffany Thompson claimed Elliott had abused her multiple times over a five-day period, the NFL is still gathering information. Jones told Rohan that he is not concerned about what the league might find, adding that his own sources provided information that cleared Elliott.
Outside the locker room a few minutes later, Jones said he was unconcerned with the NFL’s ongoing investigation. “Our policy in the league is basically to satisfy that there’s not something that we don’t know about.” He flashed a smile. “Now think about what I just said. There is nothing [new]—not one thing—that anybody has said to me since training camp. There’s nothing there. No, no, not at all.”
Jones said that, through his own sources, he received information “almost immediately when the incident occurred” that, in his view, cleared Elliott. He was asked: Why then is the case still open? Is it so the league can avoid more bad publicity, on the heels of the Josh Brown scandal, by prolonging the investigation? If the NFL were to exonerate Elliott now, critics might assume the league was protecting him. If the NFL were to suspend Elliott, Cowboys fans might assume that the league was making an example of him, to compensate for mishandling the Brown case.
A recent report indicated the NFL is actually investigating two instances where Elliott was accused of domestic violence, with the other occurring in February.
Thompson shared some disturbing photos on social media that she said showed the injuries Elliott inflicted on her, but the Cowboys said from the start they were confident he would be cleared. Apparently there has been no new information that would make Jones think differently.
