The story of Ezekiel Elliott has consumed Cowboys fans -- and much of the NFL in general -- this offseason, with rumors consistently percolating about a possible punishment for the second-year running back, stemming from a 2016 domestic violence incident that the NFL has been investigating for over a year.
CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora has been reporting since last October that Elliott could face a suspension, and it may be a result of other owners trying to influence Roger Goodell into punishing the Cowboys running back.
Now we are squarely in the time of year when the NFL starts dumping punishments on various players, and it's possible the Elliott suspension could be coming fairly soon. There is more proof of this: on Friday, NFL.com reported that the league is wrapping up its investigation into Elliott.
According to the NFL.com report, "The NFL Players Association recently filed to the NFL what the union, Ezekiel Elliott and his representatives hope is a final response that answers any lingering questions remaining in the league's year-long investigation."
The report also states that the NFL's investigation is "nearing completion" and that the "league has shared its findings with the NFLPA, Elliott and his representatives."
So, while this feels like not necessarily huge news -- the report says "it remains unclear whether Elliott will be suspended or otherwise disciplined" -- it does mean huge news is coming soon, whether it's positive or not for Elliott.
The league should have everything in order to take care of making a decision on Elliott as to whether or not it will suspend the running back.
Based on the report from NFL.com, the explanation Dan Patrick provided this week actually makes a lot of sense. There might not be enough in place to suspend Elliott for any one incident. But perhaps an accumulation of all the incidents this offseason and last year, along with the pressure from other owners who want to see the Cowboys get equal treatment, could result in Elliott getting a suspension of a game or two.
On the other hand, it's a punishment from the NFL league office. Just go to your local tavern, find a dartboard, blindfold yourself, hit a number and you will probably end up being just as accurate.
