Should Ezekiel Elliott be Suspended?

The Dallas Cowboys’ success depends on Ezekiel Elliott, but thanks to recent accusations, he may not be able to play. He has only been able to play in recent years because he was appealing his case.

Though not criminally charged, Elliott has been under investigation by the NFL due to accusations from his girlfriend of domestic violence. It is said that the relationship between Elliott and his girlfriend was friendly, but things turned sour when abuse accusations arose. There were also false statements made to the police by the accuser. However, three other claims were determined to be true, according to the NFL investigation.  Elliott has appealed the NFL findings numerous times, and pending a final decision his suspension was postponed.  However, his  latest appeal was rejected, resulting in his suspension, the length of which is fixed by NFL policy for domestic violence.

Many fans are arguing that he is innocent, but many are also saying that it is about time that he is being suspended because the accusations were made February 12, 2014, and the trial began  back in September. A conviction was always going to result in a suspension, but Elliott’s continual appeals of his case delayed any action on the part of the NFL.  This aggravated many football fans, and it angered Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as well.

Clearly, Elliot should be suspended just to help him learn that his actions have consequences. But due to the lack of criminal conviction and questionable reliability of his accuser’s statements, it should only be for four games, not six.  If he misses six games, it could ruin the Cowboys’ chances of making it to the playoffs.  His team shouldn’t pay the price for Elliott’s personal mistakes.