Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has been at the center of several incidents this offseason, including a bar fight and ongoing league investigation into domestic violence accusations made against him.
However, the team has consistently issued statements of support of their star back, and head coach Jason Garrett did so again at the team's opening training camp press conference.
"We believe in Zeke Elliott," Garrett said. "We believe very strongly in Zeke as a person and as a football player. We did our due diligence on him. We know everything about him and his background going back to high school, going back to Pop Warner football through high school, through college. We feel very strongly about the kind of person he is and certainly the kind of football player he is. We wouldn't have drafted him where we drafted him if we didn't believe that.
"Having said that, he's not perfect, he makes mistakes -- we all make mistakes. It's incumbent upon all of us, everybody in our organization -- coaches, players -- everybody who is connected with Zeke to help him understand the importance of making good decisions. We're going to help him grow that way -- just like we will every player on our team."
The domestic violence investigation of Elliott has been going on since July 2016, and the league is finally concluding it. The NFLPA has filed a response to to NFL after the NFL submitted its findings. Neither the NFL nor the NFLPA submissions included any suggestions for discipline, and team owner Jerry Jones said they don't anticipate Elliott facing any kind of discipline.
"I've reviewed everything," Jones said. "There is absolutely nothing, not one thing that I've seen that has anything to do with domestic violence."
Police did not file charges stemming from the July incident between Elliott and a former girlfriend and Dallas police have suspended their case against him stemming from the bar fight.
While neither incident will result in direct discipline from the league, they have said they looking at the "accumulative nature" of these incidents. Elliott also visited a legal marijuana dispensary before a preseason game last year and was caught pulling down a woman’s top at a St. Patrick's Day Parade (consensually, apparently).
The 22-year-old led the NFL in rushing as a rookie last season, picking up 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns on 322 carries.
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