Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is accused of injuring his girlfriend. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL Players Association has appealed Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension over the league’s conclusion that its 2016 rushing leader injured his former girlfriend in three separate incidents last summer.
The union said Tuesday it will represent Elliott “to ensure that the NFL is held to its obligation of adhering to principles of industrial due process under the collective bargaining agreement.”
The NFL suspended Elliott last week after a yearlong investigation into an Ohio domestic violence case that prosecutors declined to pursue. Elliott’s attorneys blasted Commissioner Roger Goodell’s ruling, saying the league “cherry-picked” evidence to reach its conclusion.
A hearing with Goodell or an arbitrator will be scheduled within 10 days with a decision “as soon as practicable” after the appeal is heard, according to the labor agreement.
The Cowboys open the regular season Sept. 10 at home against the New York Giants.
