ATLANTA –They won't see him for at least three more weeks – or likely longer. But the Cowboys are confident Ezekiel Elliott is in a good place as his NFL suspension gets underway.
"I think he's got a good plan," said Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones on Sunday evening. "I know that he's going to be doing some stuff, he's going to get away. He's doing some things that will help his career and his life."
Elliott's appeal to the U.S. Second Circuit Court to have the preliminary injunction of his six-game suspension reinstated was denied on Thursday. He is appealing that decision, as well, which will be heard on Dec. 1.
In the meantime, the All-Pro running back is now an absentee. He played no part in the Cowboys' 27-7 loss to Atlanta, and – unless his appeal is granted – he won't be back with the team until Dec. 18.
With that amount of time away from the team, there could be cause for concern. Not even including his dispute against the NFL regarding allegations of domestic violence, Elliott has also appeared in numerous other headlines as a result of off-field behavior.
Asked about that, though, Jones said he's confident Elliott will be fine – although he didn't want to get into specifics.
"No, I'm not as concerned about that," he said. "I think he obviously has things that he's going to be doing. I'm satisfied that it will be improved, but I won't get into his plan."
Reports surfaced Sunday morning that Elliott intended to leave the country in order to re-focus and train for his eventual return to the team. Pressed to elaborate, Jones declined to offer any specifics. But he did acknowledge that Elliott intends to be productive during his absence.
"The main thing is that I'm not going to get into location – just exactly what kind of activities he's going to be having," Jones said. "But I do know that he intends to come back with a fresh approach."
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