Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott racked up 140 yards from scrimmage, including 104 rushing yards, in last night's 19-3 victory over the division rival New York Giants, but that wasn't Elliott's only win this weekend.
On Friday, Judge Amos Mazzant granted Ezekiel Elliott an injunction and a temporary restraining order which blocked the NFL's six-game suspension for violating the personal conduct policy. Without that temporary restraining order, Zeke would've likely been sidelined for the Cowboys' next six games, but now it appears as though he'll be eligible to play for the entire 2017 NFL season.
After last night's victory, Zeke expressed a sense of relief. He told reporters, per ESPN,
"Just relieved for the fact that I finally get a fair trial," Elliott said after Sunday's game. "I finally get a chance to prove my innocence and just happy that I'll get to be with the guys for as long as permitted and not miss time and not having to be away from them."
"It's definitely been a tough last 14 months," Elliott said. "At times it's gotten so hard you start to lose faith."
"Just kind of your name getting dragged through the mud," Elliott said when asked what the hardest part has been. "It's been 14 months. Just kind of being associated with that, that's tough."
The league suspended Elliott last month for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, stemming from an investigation that took place after an ex-girlfriend accused Elliott of domestic violence in Columbus, Ohio. While Elliott did not face criminal charges, the NFL's investigation concluded that "there is substantial and persuasive evidence supporting a finding that [Elliott] engaged in physical violence against Ms. [Tiffany] Thompson on multiple occasions during the week of July 16, 2016," according to a statement from the NFL.
While arbitrator Harold Henderson originally decided to uphold the six-game suspension, the TRO granted by Judge Amos Mazzant will allow Zeke to continue playing while Judge Amos Mazzant reviews the results of the player’s arbitration to decide whether the petition should move to trial.
Elliott and the Cowboys will now travel to Denver for a matchup with the Broncos next Sunday at 4:25pm ET.