Suspension took Elliott by surprise

Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott, suspended by the NFL for the first six games this season after a yearlong investigation in which the league concluded that he injured his former girlfriend in three separate incidents last summer, said “I strongly disagree with the league’s findings.”

Elliott posted a statement on his verified Twitter account, saying he was “both surprised and disappointed” by the NFL’s action. He said he was “sincerely sorry” for the distraction and disruption he has caused for the Cowboys and his family.

Elliott, the league’s leading rusher as a rookie last season, has three days to appeal the ruling. While he made no direct reference to an appeal in his statement, his legal team did in a separate statement.

If Commissioner Roger Goodell’s ruling stands, Elliott would not be eligible to play until Week 8 at Washington. At least three other Cowboys will be suspended when the defending NFC East champions start the season in a month: Randy Gregory will miss the entire regular season for multiple violations of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, and fellow defensive ends David Irving (performance-enhancing drugs) and Damontre Moore (substance abuse) must sit out four and two games, respectively.

Mariota returns

Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota played his first game since breaking his right leg late last season, throwing three times and running once in his two firstquarter series during a 7-3 loss to the New York Jets in the teams’ preseason opener at East Rutherford, N.J. Journeyman Josh McCown started and threw for the game’s only touchdown in his one series for the Jets, whose quarterback situation is muddled as usual.

Etc.

The Denver Broncos apparently dodged a huge hit to their battered defensive line when they learned that defensive end Derek Wolfe’s right ankle injury appears to be only a sprain, less serious than first thought . . . . Miami placed Ryan Tannehill on season-ending injured reserve, a day after announcing the quarterback would have surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee . . . . Washington put linebacker Trent Murphy, its top draft pick in 2014, on injured reserve with a torn ACL in his left knee suffered Thursday during the preseason opener against Baltimore . . . . Tampa Bay waived kicker Roberto Aguayo ,a 2016 second-round pick who missed an extra point and a 47-yard field-goal try Friday against Cincinnati, and awarded the job to veteran Nick Folk.