“Optimism” Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott Will Avoid Suspension

Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that people around the league are not expecting Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott to be suspended for the offseason incident.

Garafolo adds that it remains to be seen what the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell will do, given that Elliott has previously been suspended.

Earlier in the day, Garafolo mentioned that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sent the team’s counsel to the meeting with Goodell, which is the same as he did back in 2017.

Elliott later posted the following statement on his Twitter account Tuesday:

“Earlier today, I met with the Commissioner to share with him what occurred in Las Vegas and what I have learned from that incident. 

“I’ve worked harder to make better decisions and to live up to the high standards that are expected of me. 

“I failed to do that here and I made a poor decision. 

“I apologized to Kyle Johnson at the time and I meant it. 

“I need to work harder to ensure I do not put myself in compromised situations in the future. I am rededicating myself to use all of the resources that the league has made available. But in the end, it is up to me and I am determined not to be in this position again.”

Elliott was briefly handcuffed and detained at a Las Vegas concert this offseason before being released. Video from TMZ showed Elliott pushing a security guard to the ground. No charges were filed from the incident. 

Elliott was suspended six games in 2017 from an alleged incident with a former girlfriend. He was not arrested or charged, but according to the NFL’s personal conduct policy, a player can be subject to penalty under the policy even if no arrest occurs.

Elliott, 23, was taken with the No. 4 overall pick by the Cowboys back in 2016. He signed four-year contract worth $24,956,342, which includes a signing bonus of $16,350,068.

Elliott will make a base salary of $3.85 million for the 2019 season and another $9.1 million in 2020 under the fifth-year option of his contract. 

In 2018, Elliott appeared in 15 games for the Cowboys and rushed for 1,434 yards on 304 carries (4.7 YPC) to go along with 77 receptions for 567 yards receiving and nine touchdowns.