Cowboys owner says he has talked to his RB, but not to league.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday said he has not spoken to the NFL about a possible suspension for running back Ezekiel Elliott, but said he did not want to “speculate” about any punishment that could be coming for the second-year star.
Jones, speaking at an event at the team’s new headquarters in Frisco, told reporters he had spoken to Elliott about an incident at a Dallas nightclub on Sunday. A 30-year-old man suffered a broken nose in an altercation, but was unable to tell police who assaulted him. ESPN and Dallas’ 105.3 The Fan reported that Elliott was involved, though the running back was not named in reports filed by Dallas police.
Jones chose to not reveal the details of his conversation with Elliott but said his general message to the running back, as well as to other troubled Cowboys players, is to be aware of how individual actions affect others.
“Your actions impact the entire team, ” Jones said, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Defensive linemen David Irving (4 games for performance enhancing drugs) and Randy Gregory (at least one year for substance abuse) will serve suspensions in 2017.
The team is waiting to see if Elliott will join them.
The NFL is investigating domestic violence allegations in Ohio and Florida, allegations made before Elliott entered the NFL. He was not charged in either case.
The league is also investigating the Sunday incident.
Elliott was also filmed in March pulling down a woman’s shirt at a St. Patrick’s Day parade, and in April was cited for driving more than 100 mph. He appeal the speeding ticket on Tuesday.
Jones on Tuesday said Elliott, who turns 22 later this month, is still maturing and learning how to handle fame.
“As you well know, because of his style and his personality, it’s like a rock star wherever he goes in terms of attention, ” Jones said, according to DallasCowboys.com reporter Rob Phillips. “Anybody that’s experienced that knows that takes getting used to. You have to learn many aspects of that. Certainly Zeke is evolving and being subject to needing to learn how to deal with the media and social media the way it is today.”
