Ezekiel Elliott is set to begin serving his six-game suspension from the NFL after the his request for a preliminary injunction was denied by a U.S. District Court in New York on Monday, according to a report from Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News.
Judge dissolves temporary restraining order and denies Elliott's motion. He is suspended.
— Kate Hairopoulos (@khairopoulos) October 31, 2017
The former Ohio State running back was suspended six games by the NFL in August, after a yearlong investigation by the league determined that Elliott committed three acts of domestic violence against his former girlfriend in July 2016.
Elliott has yet to serve any part of that suspension because of a series of legal maneuvers that prevented the league from enforcing its suspension. As of now, however, Elliott is set to miss the Dallas Cowboys’ next six games, leaving him eligible to return to his team prior to NFL Week 15.
Elliott's temporary restraining order, which enabled him to play in each of the Cowboys' last two games after his preliminary injuction in Texas was vacated, will remain in place for the next 24 hours, giving Elliott and the NFL Players' Association a chance to appeal Monday's ruling, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
It was believed, however, that a ruling in Elliott's favor on Monday was his best remaining option to keep the NFL from enforcing the suspension.
The Second Circuit *can* act fast enough to save #Zeke. But they won't. The opinion is tightly reasoned. 2/
— Raffi Melkonian (@RMFifthCircuit) October 31, 2017
Elliott has rushed for 690 yards and six touchdowns and added 210 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in seven games played this season. He scored five total touchdowns in the Cowboys’ past two games alone and rushed for more than 100 yards in each of their last three games.
