Ezekiel Elliott's battle against his suspension for a domestic violence case is far from over, and the NFL is hoping the six-game ban could be reinstated as early as Week 3.
The NFL has attempted to accelerate the process of its injunction filed against Elliott's temporary restraining order by deciding to take the case to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals if U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant does not make a decision by Thursday.
If Judge Mazzant does not make a ruling by Thursday, the league expects to hear from the appeals court next week on their motion to block Elliott's temporary restraining order, sources told ESPN's Dan Graziano.
If the ruling comes back in favor of the NFL, Elliott's suspension would take effect beginning Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals.
The court could also rule in favor of Elliott but allow the NFL to expedite its appeal, which could result in the suspension being upheld later in the season or possibly at the beginning of 2018. Another option would be for the court to deny the NFL's request of injunction and for an expedited appeal, meaning Elliott would likely play the rest of the season while the NFL prepared for another appeal process throughout next offseason.
If the appeals court does rule in favor of the NFL, Elliott and the NFLPA would be expected to fight the ruling on the grounds that the decision was an unfair discipline process by the league.
