Court clears Ezekiel Elliott to play Sunday

Appeals court issues stay for lower-court ruling

(Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

A federal appeals court has granted a stay that will allow Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to play this Sunday, according to The Associated Press.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday temporarily blocked a lower-court ruling requiring Elliott to serve his six-game suspension.

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"We note that the issuance of an administrative stay does not constitute a resolution on the merits," Susan L. Carney, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, wrote in Friday's filing. 

The NFL Players Association had asked the court to put the ruling on hold while it considers the union's appeal, while the NFL opposed the union's request and asked that Elliott begin serving the suspension immediately.

While the order doesn't bring an end to the running back's legal battle against the NFL, it does mean he will suit up for the 4-3 Cowboys in their home game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

The 22-year-old arrived at the Cowboys' practice facility Friday morning after the stay was granted. He was not with the team on Wednesday and Thursday, per league rules.

Elliott was suspended by the NFL in August after the league investigated alleged physical confrontations during the summer of 2016 with his then-girlfriend.

He was never charged with a crime by authorities who investigated the allegations.

Elliott is cleared only through Sunday's game against Chiefs and he will be suspended again heading into the Nov. 12 game against the Atlanta Falcons if another ruling is not in his favor. 

A panel of federal judges will convene next week to hear Elliott's request for an injunction that overturns Judge Katherine Polk Failla's ruling from Monday.


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