There's a new twist in the Ezekiel Elliott and Dallas Cowboys story, but this one has nothing to do with contract talks.
On January 11, 2017, the All-Pro running back was involved in a vehicle accident in Frisco, TX at the intersection of Dallas Parkway and Gaylord Parkway, not far from the team's practice facility. Frisco Police described the incident as "minor" upon arriving on the scene, and Elliott immediately took to Twitter to declare he suffered no injuries in the accident.
"I'm good," he wrote at the time. "I've been in bigger collisions."
That allegedly is not the case for the other driver though, who launched a lawsuit in August 2018 against Elliott — seeking $1 million in compensation due to "serious, life-altering injuries and damages".
The plaintiff, Ronnie Hill, stated his vehicle was written off as a total loss following the deployment of both air bags once it was struck by Elliott's vehicle. Texas law doesn't allow for the suing of another driver's insurance company, so it's Elliott's wallet Hill was instead going after at the time. Elliott's lawyer, Frank Salzano, responded by citing the aforementioned Texas law as the plaintiff's justification for listing Elliott on the lawsuit.
One year later, Hill is taking his allegations to new heights, and now accuses the Cowboys of colluding with Frisco police to cover up details of what he believes truly happened on that January afternoon — suing both Elliott and the team for $20 million as recompense, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ.
"If anyone had actually reported the impact of the accident, and had Elliott been examined, he would have most likely been placed in concussion protocol and out for the Dallas Cowboys upcoming playoff game," Hill alleges in his suit.
Elliott went on to play against the Green Bay Packers, rushing for 125 yards in a Cowboys loss, and there were no signs of injury or a concussion following the accident a few days prior.
The lawsuit comes with curious timing, considering Elliott and the Cowboys are currently engaged in talks on a contract extension as he remains absent from camp to help nudge the process along. The two-time rushing champ was also in the headlines in 2019 for an incident in Las Vegas that involved a security officer who claims Elliott pushed him into a metal railing, causing him to fall. The NFL launched an investigation that included interviewing witnesses present at the time of the verbal altercation, and deemed there was no violation to the league's personal conduct policy.
The alleged victim in that situation, Kyle Johnson, threatened to press charges if Elliott didn't apologize. Despite having admitted to receiving one at the time and again seeing one from Elliott on social media, Johnson opted to press charges nonetheless — 55 days after the incident.
In return, Elliott and his reps are pressing charges of their own, accusing Johnson of extortion. Law enforcement has launched an investigation into both matters, and both are currently pending.
The latest lawsuit will ultimately add to those who view Elliott as a handful off-the-field, despite the progress he's made in that arena — as also noted by Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones and commissioner Roger Goodell.
This time, the Cowboys themselves are involved, though, making things a bit messier as they talk numbers with their star RB.
