Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott has until Wednesday to "file his appeal of his 6-game suspension, but it is likely to be submitted Tuesday," according to a source (TWITTER.com, 8/13). Cowboys Exec VP, COO & Dir of Player Personnel Stephen Jones yesterday before the Cowboys-Rams game said that the Cowboys take the allegations "very seriously" but continue to support Elliott. Jones: "We understand the very, very, very serious nature of domestic violence and certainly that people should be held accountable if that takes place" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 8/13). Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said that he heard "rumblings about the suspension on Thursday night but didn't know officially" until Jones called him Friday morning. Garrett "talked to the team about the situation and how they were going to handle it" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/13).
ESPN's Adam Schefter noted Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones had been "very public" that he did not expect any suspension for Elliott, and now Jones "is furious." Schefter noted Jones "read the report that the league had come up with, and he could not see any traces of domestic violence in that report" ("E:60," ESPN, 8/13). Elliott's suspension "raises the prospect of the league yet again beginning its season without a star player because of disciplinary action." Last year, Patriots QB Tom Brady "served a four-game suspension over his role" in Deflategate. Jones, one of the league's "most powerful owners," could "end up in a showdown" with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (N.Y. TIMES, 8/12).
