The Dallas Cowboys are looking to be one of the top contenders for a Super Bowl championship in 2017, but they may have a few obstacles to clear first. One thing they have to do is figure out what to do with Tony Romo , but that may end up being the least of their worries. Second-year running back Ezekiel Elliott has had a few off-the-field troubles and has been flirting with a suspension, but his most recent actions could be what pushes the NFL over the edge.
Last year, the rookie running back dominated in his first year in the NFL, and the Cowboys were thrilled to have him leading the team in 2017. Elliott is still under investigation by the NFL for allegations of domestic violence made against him last year, but now, he has more trouble coming against him.
As recently reported by TMZ Sports , Elliott was at a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dallas this week, and he was caught pulling down the top of a woman next to him. Parade-goers captured the incident on video, and the Cowboys’ star’s representatives said the woman “wasn’t upset” at all.
After the initial video was posted by TMZ Sports , more video was obtained showing Elliott reaching in and grabbing the woman’s breasts and her slapping him away. It may be needless to say, but many are firing back at him for his actions.
Detroit Lions and NFL legend Chris Spielman spoke out against the actions of Ezekiel Elliott and those that have been defending him. Spielman spoke with TMZ by way of CBS Sports and said that what he’s doing is not alright , and others have to stop making excuses for him because he is “young” and talented.
“I want people to stop saying he’s a ‘young man,’” Spielman said… “There comes a point in time when we all know right from wrong. At what point is it okay to pull some woman’s shirt down in public?”
“He is bringing this upon himself. Nobody is bringing this upon him. And he’s not young. He is of the age where he knows right from wrong, so lets stop with the young card, I can’t stand it. There are no more young cards.”
“It’s never okay to pull somebody’s shirt down. That’s insane to even justify that behavior. It’s crazy.”
Aside from former NFL players speaking out about Ezekiel Elliott’s actions, he has women’s rights groups coming after him.
TMZ has comments from Shaunna Thomas , the co-founder of a women’s rights group called UltraViolet, saying that Elliott’s actions aren’t just deplorable. Thomas believes that he actually committed a crime, and the “reality is that what happened in that video was sexual assault, period.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said that there is “no timetable” for when the domestic violence allegation investigation on Ezekiel Elliott will be completed. There are five alleged incidents of domestic violence from last year which have been brought against him, and Zeke has denied all of them.
Even though Elliott’s representatives say the woman at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was not “upset” about having her shirt pulled down, it may not matter. As Pro Football Talk reports, the NFL could still deliver a suspension because they won’t put up with that kind of conduct whether it bothered the woman or not.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is hoping that this investigation is completed soon as the team just lost one of their running backs. ESPN reported on Thursday that Lance Dunbar was moving out of Dallas and heading to Los Angeles.
#Rams and RB Lance Dunbar agreed to a 1-year deal worth up to $3m, source told ESPN.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) March 16, 2017
The loss of Dunbar will likely up the amount of work that Elliott does in 2017, and that is coming off a season when he was the NFL’s leading rusher. If a suspension ends up being placed on the back, though, the Cowboys only have Alfred Morris and Rod Smith currently under contract.
When the Dallas Cowboys step out onto the field for the 2017 regular season, they are hoping to be at full strength, but only time will tell. Running back Ezekiel Elliott’s off-field issues have to be a rising concern for Jerry Jones and the team, but this latest incident with pulling down a woman’s top at a parade may be the last straw. You can be sure the NFL is looking deep into this situation, and a suspension is definitely not out of the question.
[Featured Image by Joe Robbins/Getty Images]