NFL continues battle to suspend Cowboys’ Elliott
The NFL knows it is fighting an uphill battle against U.S. District Court Judge Amos Mazzant in hopes of getting him to stay his own decision of granting Dallas Cowboys star running Ezekiel Elliott a preliminary injunction to block a six-game suspension for violating the personal conduct policy.
The NFL had to follow the process of first requesting a stay with Mazzant before moving to Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans for an emergency stay as well as an expedited action on the appeal officially filed Monday with the 5th Circuit.
Mazzant will decide next week. If rejected, the NFL will be forced to seek immediate relief with the appeals court.
Elliott will play for the second consecutive week, this time on the road Sunday against the Denver Broncos, and likely will play all season.
Whether the stay is granted or not, or the case winds through the appeals court for months, NFL vice president of Joe Lockhart expects the league to ultimately prevail with Elliott serving a six-game suspension for allegedly committing domestic violence against former girlfriend Tiffany Thompson.
He said Mazzant went past his limited scope of review in making the initial decision on the injunction, which he believes will be rejected in a higher court just as it has been in the past.
“As far as the argument to the Court of Appeals, we think that the scope and review in a labor arbitration case is very limited and we believe in this case, the judge went well beyond what he is permitted as far as scope,” Lockhart said
Mazzant granted the preliminary injunction last week, citing that Elliott did not receive a fair appeals hearing before league-appointed arbitrator Harold Henderson.
Mazzant ruled that Elliott would suffer irreparable harm if the suspension took effect while the legal case plays out.
Cardinals
Arizona placed All-Pro David Johnson on injured reserve and re-signed veteran running back Chris Johnson. The team also signed ex-Arizona State running back D.J. Foster, who grew up in Scottsdale, off the New England practice squad. The Cardinals had released Chris Johnson in their final roster cuts. David Johnson will have surgery on his dislocated left wrist and would be out two to three months.
Jaguars
Jacksonville placed receiver Allen Robinson on injured reserve and signed receiver Max McCaffrey off New Orleans’ practice squad. Robinson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee Sunday at Houston and will have seasonending surgery. McCaffrey is the son of retired NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey and the brother of Carolina Panthers rookie running back Christian McCaffrey.
Bears
Chicago placed inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman on injured reserve, another hit for a team coming off a three-win season. A sixth-year pro, Freeman suffered a pectoral injury and concussion in a season-opening loss to Atlanta. Freeman led Chicago with 110 tackles in 2016.
Lions
Detroit signed punter Jeff Locke after Kasey Redfern went down with a knee injury in the season opener. With punter Sam Martin on the non-football injury list, the Lions went with Redfern in their 35-23 win Sunday against Arizona, but he was injured in the first quarter.
Eagles
Philadelphia signed kicker Jake Elliott off Cincinnati’s practice squad and placed Caleb Sturgis on injured reserve. Elliott was a fifth-round pick in April after graduating from Memphis as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 445 points.