Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has once again gone to bat for Ezekiel Elliott, expressing hope that the running back will avoid trouble going forward after last season’s six-game suspension.
Elliott ultimately accepted the suspension levied against him by the NFL over domestic violence allegations following a protracted legal process. The situation obviously served as a huge distraction for the Cowboys organization in what turned out to be a disappointing 9-7 season.
Jones was asked Tuesday at Senior Bowl practices whether the Cowboys organization has instituted any safeguards for Elliott to help the 22-year-old avoid further trouble. Interestingly, Jones once again made the case that Elliott was wrongfully punished as well.
“Two things, No. 1, we all know that on a personal basis that issue was a hard issue for Zeke,” Jones said, via SportsDay. “Logic tells me that what he had to deal with that is a big deterrent in looking at anything like that in the future. That’s about the best way I know, that when those kinds of negative things happen to you there is usually follow, usually create deterrence for doing it again when you’ve had that kind of experience that he had this past year. That was a lot of punishment for him under the circumstances for what he didn’t do.”
Jones was then asked if the Cowboys ought to do something to keep Elliott on the straight and narrow during the offseason, where it’s more difficult for the team to keep tabs on the running back.
“I wouldn’t get into anything like that because it doesn’t apply,” Jones said. “The main thing is I wouldn’t want to imply there was anything done other than … there are a plenty of team rules, personal conduct rules, there are plenty of things in place and plenty of consequences in place as we’ve seen that should prevent that.”
Elliott has found himself ensnared in a handful of off-the-field scandals during his two years in the NFL. The Cowboys obviously hope Elliott finds his way, as Jones isn’t the first person in the front office to suggest Elliott has learned his lesson.
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