The legal battle surrounding Ezekiel Elliott is heating up even though an appeals hearing for his six-game suspension hasn't reached a conclusion.
After Elliott and the NFLPA filed a petition Thursday to vacate his pending suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, then accused the NFL of a league-orchestrated conspiracy in a restraining-order motion filed in federal court, the league hit back with legal filings of its own Monday night.
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The NFL filed two petitions in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas asking for both the petition to vacate Elliott’s suspension and the temporary restraining order the NFLPA requested to be dismissed in order to prevent an injunction so it can enforce Elliott's ban.
"The NFLPA also lacks standing to seek a contingent order preemptively challenging an award that clearly has not yet (and may never) cause it or Ezekiel Elliott any harm," an NFL lawyer wrote in one of the filings, via USA Today Sports. "And the NFLPA’s claim is unripe to boot, as even the NFLPA acknowledges that the arbitrator’s forthcoming award could still afford the NFLPA all the relief it seeks."
The petitions state the NFLPA doesn’t have the legal standing to seek a temporary restraining order since NFL arbitrator Harold Henderson has not yet ruled whether to uphold the six-game suspension for Elliott.
Henderson's ruling is expected Tuesday but the courtroom saga could be far from over as Elliott and the NFLPA can re-submit their claims of a league-orchestrated conspiracy especially after NFL lead investigator Kia Roberts reportedly was silenced for recommending no suspension.