Report: Ezekiel Elliott investigation nears end as NFLPA delivers phone records

The NFL's investigation stems initially from an alleged incident in February 2016

The shroud that has hovered over Ezekiel Elliott's head since last summer is beginning to crack a bit, as a significant step may have been taken to close an NFL probe into domestic abuse allegations.

NFL investigators submitted a request for Elliott's phone records some time ago, and USA Today reports Elliott and the NFL Players' Association finally adhered to the request last week. 

Obviously cell phone records are a touchy subject for the NFLPA, understandably so when the Tom Brady Deflategate debacle is taken into consideration, but this is a necessary advancement to finally close the investigation.

Elliott was never arrested or charged with domestic abuse, but the woman in question claimed that Elliott hit her in February 2016, and again over a several day span in July.

Since being drafted, the now 21-year-old has been involved in several situations that may clash with the NFL's flexible personal conduct policy. The NFL has taken looks at videos that involved Elliott pulling down a woman's shirt at a St. Patrick's Day parade in Dallas, and there was also a spot of controversy when Elliott went to a marijuana dispensary while visiting Seattle.

Elliott's domestic case remains cloudy, as a lot of details are unclear. A key witness told police that Elliott's accuser specifically said to lie to police about an unrelated incident, but a lead attorney claimed there seemed to be a series of violent encounters between her and Elliott.

Jerry Jones and Elliott himself have both expressed displeasure that the probe is still ongoing, although it's possible that the NFL wants to do its due diligence due to public perception going sideways in past domestic cases. The NFL's personal conduct policy is extremely pliable by the person levying the punishment. With the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring in 2020, this policy may be an extreme point of contention between the players and the owners.

In the meantime, Elliott, who enjoyed an excellent rookie season for the Dallas Cowboys, may be able to move on from this issue soon.