NFL Decides No Penalty For Ezekiel Elliott

The NFL announced recently that Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was not in violation of the league’s code of personal conduct and is cleared to play in the Cowboys’ opener against the New York Giants.

Elliott was involved in an incident in which he was briefly detained for bumping a security guard to the ground. He was not arrested in the incident.

An official for the NFL says the decision not to suspend the league’s leading rusher came only after a thorough investigation was conducted. The investigation included interviews with security personnel and other witnesses of the incident, as well as, a review of all documentary evidence in the matter.

Elliott, who is now 23 years old, met with league commissioner, Roger Goodell, last Tuesday. The two men spoke for hours and one topic of discussion was what Elliott learned from the recent trouble.

Elliott reached out to fans and the media through a prepared statement following his sit down with Goodell. He apologized for the poor decision he made and promised to work harder at placing himself in better situations. The star running back also acknowledged an understanding of the expectations placed upon him and says he will live up to them in the future. Elliott finished by saying he will take full advantages of the resources offered to him by the NFL but knows the responsibility is his own.

An NFL player can be suspended even if not arrested under the personal code of conduct policy of the NFL. Many insiders feel like Elliott dodged a bullet following his latest off the field incident.

Goodell made the call himself that no violation had occurred and no punitive action should be taken.

Goodell suspended Elliott for six games in 2017 after a girlfriend of Elliott accused him of domestic violence. Elliott was not charged in this incident either and an investigator suggested no penalty be handed to him. However, the league decided the suspension was justified. Elliott put a legal battle against the suspension for some time but finally agreed to his punishment.

Jerry Jones, owner and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, remarked shortly after the incident that he did not feel Elliott would be punished. Stephen Jones said the team will not consider the incident relevant to current negotiations between themselves and Elliott pertaining to a long-term contract extension.

Video: https://www.foxsports.com/watch/undisputed/video/1563055171879