One NFL investigator who interviewed Ezekiel Elliott’s ex-girlfriend recommended no suspension for the Dallas Cowboys running back, according to a report.
Elliott’s hearing for the appeal of his six-game suspension by the NFL was heard Tuesday-Thursday this week. Elliott was suspended under the league’s personal conduct policy after the league conducted a year-long investigation into allegations that he physically abused his ex-girlfriend multiple times last July.
All throughout the period leading up to the announcement of Elliott’s fate, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed confidence that Elliott would be fine. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill, that’s because Jones apparently was told there would be no suspension. Further, Hill reports that one NFL investigator recommended no suspension for Elliott.
From Hill’s report:
Roberts recommended no suspension for Elliott following her interviews with Thompson during the investigation _ a fact Roberts testified to during the appeals hearing with Henderson, according to a source.
Roberts’ recommendation of no discipline is the main reason Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed so much confidence until the NFL announced the suspension on Aug. 11.
Jones was told by a top NFL executive that there would be no suspension, according to a source.
That’s why Jones was reported to have been furious with the suspension.
Elliott was never criminally charged in the matter because Ohio authorities found issues with ex-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson’s credibility.
What could be worse for the NFL is that the investigator’s recommendation reportedly never made it into the league’s final report on the incident. The investigator who recommended no suspension also was not part of a meeting where Commissioner Roger Goodell discussed Elliott’s punishment. She was said to have been barred from the meeting by another league investigator.
Those hearing the appeal are reportedly being pressured into making a decision on the running back’s appeal by the beginning of next week that way there will be a resolution to the case before the start of the NFL season. Reports now say there is a chance Elliott’s suspension could be reduced. His legal team is prepared for a lawsuit if there is no suspension reduction.
