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After Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott had his six-game suspension reinstated Thursday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones commented on the matter Friday.
Appearing on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (h/t ESPN.com's Todd Archer), Jones said the suspension process hasn't been fair to Elliott:
"We must all together look and see pragmatically what we're dealing with. And there is no question that the commissioner has the authority to make these suspensions. The question was ultimately going to be does he have to follow in practice a fair way, and Zeke and his team and the Cowboys do not think that it was done in a fair way. We are trying to get that looked at, and we got a setback yesterday. ... I'm very familiar with all of the facts and the details of this case. Very familiar. ... Zeke did not get treated fairly here."
The Cowboys' bye week is in Week 6, and Elliott isn't slated to return to action until Week 13 provided the suspension remains in place.
Elliott was set to miss the first six games of the 2017 season, but an injunction in September put his suspension on hold.
Per ESPN.com, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in New Orleans granted the NFL's emergency request to eliminate that injunction by a 2-1 vote Thursday.
According to Archer, Elliott's attorney Frank Salzano said of the suspension's reinstatement, "We are currently exploring all of our legal options and will make a decision as to what is the best course of action in the next few days."
On 105.3 The Fan, Jones called for tweaks to the system that is currently in place for suspensions:
"This process we have in the NFL has the same equivalence when you are suspended. Even though it's done away from the law, it looks like you've done something and that to me is incumbent upon the NFL to basically follow some more fair procedures if it's going to look like you did something whether you did or not. The law does provide us the outline with precedent on how to do it. Our system in the NFL does not."
Elliott was suspended by the league after it determined there was enough evidence to conclude he physically assaulted then-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson in July 2016.
Provided Elliott's suspension begins in Week 7 as expected, the Cowboys' backfield depth will be tested significantly.
Veteran Alfred Morris is the likeliest candidate to receive starting reps, while Darren McFadden and Rod Smith will also figure into the mix.
Elliott has rushed for 393 yards and two touchdowns thus far in 2017, along with 17 receptions for 134 yards and one touchdown through the air.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
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Appearing on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (h/t ESPN.com's Todd Archer), Jones said the suspension process hasn't been fair to Elliott:
"We must all together look and see pragmatically what we're dealing with. And there is no question that the commissioner has the authority to make these suspensions. The question was ultimately going to be does he have to follow in practice a fair way, and Zeke and his team and the Cowboys do not think that it was done in a fair way. We are trying to get that looked at, and we got a setback yesterday. ... I'm very familiar with all of the facts and the details of this case. Very familiar. ... Zeke did not get treated fairly here."
The Cowboys' bye week is in Week 6, and Elliott isn't slated to return to action until Week 13 provided the suspension remains in place.
Elliott was set to miss the first six games of the 2017 season, but an injunction in September put his suspension on hold.
Per ESPN.com, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel in New Orleans granted the NFL's emergency request to eliminate that injunction by a 2-1 vote Thursday.
According to Archer, Elliott's attorney Frank Salzano said of the suspension's reinstatement, "We are currently exploring all of our legal options and will make a decision as to what is the best course of action in the next few days."
On 105.3 The Fan, Jones called for tweaks to the system that is currently in place for suspensions:
"This process we have in the NFL has the same equivalence when you are suspended. Even though it's done away from the law, it looks like you've done something and that to me is incumbent upon the NFL to basically follow some more fair procedures if it's going to look like you did something whether you did or not. The law does provide us the outline with precedent on how to do it. Our system in the NFL does not."
Elliott was suspended by the league after it determined there was enough evidence to conclude he physically assaulted then-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson in July 2016.
Provided Elliott's suspension begins in Week 7 as expected, the Cowboys' backfield depth will be tested significantly.
Veteran Alfred Morris is the likeliest candidate to receive starting reps, while Darren McFadden and Rod Smith will also figure into the mix.
Elliott has rushed for 393 yards and two touchdowns thus far in 2017, along with 17 receptions for 134 yards and one touchdown through the air.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...