Suspension upheld, but Elliott can play
Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott’s attorneys say his six-game suspension over a domestic violence case has been upheld, but he will play the opener because of the timing of the arbitrator’s decision.
Elliott attorney Jeffrey Kessler told the judge near the end of a more than two-hour hearing in federal court last night in Sherman, Texas, that Elliott’s suspension was sustained by arbitrator Harold Henderson.
At the start of the hearing, NFL attorney Daniel Nash said Elliott could play Sunday night against the New York Giants because Henderson’s ruling came too late in the day for it to be enforced this weekend.
Elliott’s attorneys said they were “extremely disappointed with Mr. Henderson’s inability to navigate through league politics, and follow the evidence.”
U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant said he would rule on Elliott’s request for a temporary restraining order by Friday.
Hurricane problem
The Miami Dolphins’ season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not be played in Miami this week, but may be moved to a neutral site because of Hurricane Irma, the NFL said yesterday.
If the game is not relocated, it will be postponed until November, when the teams share the same bye week.
Kickoff had been scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m., but Irma is forecast to threaten South Florida this weekend. The NFL decided against switching the game to Thursday night in Miami. A decision on when and where to play is expected today.
“We’re going to keep practicing and getting ready for the game until somebody tells us different,” Dolphins coach Adam Gase said.
The teams would prefer to avoid moving the game to the weekend of Nov. 19, because it would mean both teams would play their entire season without a bye..
Jets re-sign Kerley
The New York Jets signed wide receiver Jeremy Kerley to a one-year deal, reuniting with a player who spent his first five NFL seasons with the franchise.
Kerley was a fifth-round pick of the Jets out of TCU in 2011. He was released in March 2016, signed with Detroit and traded to San Francisco, where he had a career-high 64 catches. The 49ers then released him. . .
The Buffalo Bills placed third-string quarterback T.J. Yates on the injured reserve list. Yates sustained a concussion in a 13-9 loss at Baltimore on Aug. 26, and lost the backup job to rookie Nathan Peterman. He became expendable after Buffalo signed veteran Joe Webb on Monday.
Buffalo also cut defensive tackle Deandre Coleman . .. .
The Washington Redskins signed running back Chris Thompson to a contract extension to continue his role as the third-down back and return kicks . . . .
The Oakland Raiders placed second-round pick Obi Melifonwu on injured reserve, forcing the safety to miss the first eight games of the season with an injured knee. The Raiders also placed offensive lineman Denver Kirkland (leg) on IR . . . .
The Arizona Cardinals beefed up their offensive line by signing veteran guard Alex Boone to a oneyear contract . . . .
Browns defensive tackle T.Y. McGill has been charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in North Carolina. It’s not clear if McGill’s legal issue will affect his playing status.