Latest On Ezekiel Elliott’s Suspension Appeal

Ezekiel Elliott‘s appeal of his six-game suspension will last through Thursday as the Cowboys running back fights a ban stemming from domestic violence allegations. Elliott could still suit up for Week 1 if he files a lawsuit against the NFL, but for now, the appeal hearing will proceed.

Here’s the latest on Elliott and the proceedings:

• Tuesday’s session was spent sorting through the evidence relating to the domestic violence claims and listening to investigators, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Elliott himself will speak on Wednesday, and it appears most of today will be dedicated to hearing from the Cowboys back. Thursday, meanwhile, will witness a doctor analyzing photos of the alleged victim’s injuries.
• If Elliott and his team believed arbitrator Harold Henderson were truly a neutral judge, they’d have “incredible optimism” about what occurred at Tuesday’s hearing, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter links). However, Henderson was hired by the NFL, so Elliott has understandable skepticism regarding Henderson’s motives. A source tells Anderson that “things happened that were amazingly good for [Elliott’s] side,” although that report should be taken with a grain of salt given that it’s coming from Elliott’s camp.
• “Enormous inconsistencies” emerged on Tuesday regarding the NFL’s investigative process, adds Anderson (Twitter links). On the other side of the hearing, Anderson questioned while Elliott didn’t make a definitive denial through his attorneys or via his own statement, and was told Elliott has “said it enough before.”
• While the hearing was originally scheduled for only two days, it’s been extended because the NFL will allow a witness that was initially rebuffed to testify by phone, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. The NFLPA requested that witness be allowed to communicate via phone, although the identity of said witness is unclear at present.