Cowboys’ Elliott drops appeal, will serve rest of six-game ban

FRISCO, Texas Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is ending his legal fight with five games remaining on a six-game suspension over alleged domestic violence.

Elliott’s agents said Wednesday the decision by last year’s NFL rushing leader “is in no way an admission of wrongdoing.” Elliott had a hearing set in a federal appeals court on Dec. 1, four games into the suspension.

Wednesday was the 96th day since Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the suspension. Elliott served the first game in Dallas’ 27-7 loss to Atlanta last weekend. By accepting the six-game ban, Elliott is eligible to return for the final two games of the regular season: Dec. 24 at home against Seattle and Dec. 31 at Philadelphia. The defending NFC East champion Cowboys (5-4) are three games behind the division-leading Eagles (8-1), who visit Sunday night. A year after being the top seed in the NFC at 13-3, Dallas faces a difficult task staying in playoff contention until Elliott returns. The 22-year-old Elliott was suspended by Goodell in August after the league concluded following a yearlong investigation that he had several physical confrontations in the summer of 2016 with Tiffany Thompson, his girlfriend at the time.

Prosecutors in Ohio didn’t pursue the case, citing conflicting evidence. Elliott denied the allegations under oath during his NFL appeal.

“Our vigilant fight on behalf of Ezekiel once again exposed the NFL’s disciplinary process as a sham and a lie,” the NFL Players Association said in a statement.