NFL wants ruling on Elliott reversed
The National Football League has asked a federal appeals court to reverse last week’s ruling that granted Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott an injunction keeping his six-game suspension by the league under the personal conduct policy on hold.
The league made its appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. If the NFL prevails, the injunction would be lifted and Elliott would serve his suspension while the legal challenge of his penalty plays out in court.
U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant III on Friday granted the NFL Players Association’s request for a preliminary injunction for Elliott. Mazzant ruled that Elliott would suffer irreparable harm if forced to serve his suspension with his case pending. Mazzant, following a hearing earlier last week in federal court in Texas, also ruled that Elliott and the NFLPA met the other criteria for an injunction, including the likelihood of success in court on their underlying case.
Mazzant found that Elliott did not receive a fair hearing before league-appointed arbitrator Harold Henderson, in large part because Henderson did not force NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Elliott’s accuser in a domestic violence case to testify at Elliott’s appeal hearing. Henderson upheld the six-game suspension imposed by Goodell.
Elliott played in the Cowboys’ seasonopening triumph Sunday night over the New York Giants in Arlington, Texas.
It is not clear when the appeals court will rule on the NFL’s attempt to have the injunction lifted.