Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott still has not seen a conclusion to the NFL investigation regarding accusations of domestic violence against him. Just last week Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the NFL’s nearly year-long investigation into Elliott is finally about to come to an end, with a 1-2 game suspension a likely outcome. Schefter also said that Elliott was preparing a response to the league in the hopes of clearing his name, but this latest news is surely not going to help his case.
Reports are emerging this morning of Elliott being involved in some kind of altercation at a Dallas bar. The most details right now come from 105.3 The Fan, who says that Elliott and a bouncer were in an incident at the Clutch Bar in Dallas and that no arrests have been made at this time. Schefter has reported something similar at ESPN.
With details scarce at this moment, it’s impossible to tell what really happened at the Dallas bar or what happens next until more information comes out, but the headline alone is bad news for Elliott and the Cowboys.
The NFL’s investigation regarding Elliott’s incident from the summer of 2016 has been going on for an incredible length of time. Even last December the question was already being asked why it was taking so long. Elliott was involved in two separate incidents in 2016 with the same woman when police were called and violence was alleged, with one happening in Florida and one happening in Columbus. Both times Elliott wasn’t charged because of a sufficient lack of evidence.
However, it’s important to remember that the NFL is not the court of law. And in this post-Ray Rice world, the NFL is going to be as meticulous as possible in investigating the allegations against Elliott or any domestic violence case. The NFL has to be uber-sensitive about the issue given how badly the league has dropped the ball in the past. Especially considering Elliott’s popularity and notoriety (he was the league’s leading jersey seller last year and the league’s leading rusher), the NFL has to get his case right.
But with a decision coming, the last thing that would be advisable to Elliott is getting involved in something else and giving the NFL any extra ammunition to drop the hammer of Goodell. Schefter was almost incredulous on ESPN airwaves that Elliott could possibly get into an altercation once again while the NFL is still trying to decide if he’s going to be punished for last year’s incidents.
We may need Schefty to ground Ezekiel Elliot in his room, no video games no dessert #NotAGoodLook #BadOptics pic.twitter.com/I4XdxAVV3t
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) July 17, 2017
While Elliott has still never been officially charged with a crime through it all, trouble seems to follow him around wherever he goes. We’re still waiting for the full facts of this bar incident to come out, but seeing Elliott potentially involved in yet another altercation isn’t good news for anybody.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Elliott, who said just last month that his offseason goal was to lay low and “just kind of want to stay out of the way.”
