As courts continue to waffle between ruling in favor of Ezekiel Elliott and the NFL, the two sides could be trying to find a middle ground.
According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, discussions have taken place about finding a settlement. Citing a source, he added that “there has been dialogue behind the scenes” following each ruling in this case so far.
And there have been plenty of those.
The NFL suspended Elliott for six games, and an independent arbitrator ruled in the league’s favor. Then, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) that, at worst, delayed Elliott’s suspension.
However, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the NFL before a New York Southern District Court issued another TRO.
As it stands, the second-year running back will definitely play in the Cowboys’ next two games because the presiding judge is on vacation. Elliott’s side and the NFL could reach a settlement in the meantime.
Given that courts have ruled in favor of both sides, though, each party may be reluctant to accept terms. The pros and cons have future impact for both Elliott and the NFL, and neither camp has a great reason to settle for the sake of settling.
While a compromise is possible, this case is probably far from over.