As Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys vie for the NFC East title and a potential trip to the Super Bowl, some dark clouds continue to hang over the head of the rookie running back.
By now, we already know that Elliott was allegedly involved in multiple domestic violence incidents in the past. And while he was cleared by law enforcement officials, the NFL has continued to investigate the allegations.
Now, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has spoken out about the case and the league’s investigation.
“Well, the best way to be fair to a player is to be thorough and to take your time and get it right,” Goodell said Wednesday, via the Star-Telegram. “So that is what we’re working on. We have professionals that are working on this. We’re not putting a timetable on them. We want to make sure that they get it right and get all the facts, and when they reach a conclusion, we’ll all know about it.”
On one hand, this makes perfect sense. The NFL has been known to make hasty decisions in the past, some of which have come back to haunt the league.
On the other hand, Elliott has been cleared of any wrongdoing by authorities. What is the NFL investigation going to show that the investigation from the proper authorities didn’t show?
Also important to note, the NFL’s investigation into the matter includes an alleged incident prior to Elliott being selected by Dallas in the first round of this year’s draft. The league itself has no authority to hand out discipline to a player stemming from an incident prior to his arrival in the NFL.
On the field, Elliott is a leading candidate for the Offensive Rookie of the Year and one of the top candidates for the NFL MVP. Any decision the league makes from here on out likely wouldn’t impact him moving forward this season. Though, it’s still something that continues to dampen an otherwise tremendous rookie season for the running back.