OXNARD, Calif. – Given the events that transpired in Ohio last weekend, Stephen Jones wasn't surprised that there was no NFL ruling on Ezekiel Elliott.
With Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last Saturday, it made sense to his son and executive vice president that such a major development wouldn't detract from the moment.
"I can see why maybe it didn't get done last week – they didn't want to take away from anything, one way or another, from what was going on with the Hall of Fame induction of Jerry," Stephen Jones said. "I can understand that maybe that wasn't the exact week."
That's understandable, but it still only adds another week to what has already been a yearlong investigation into Elliott's off-field behavior. Allegations first surfaced about the Cowboys' star running back last July, and the league's look into the matter has hovered around him ever since.
Asked if he was expecting to get some resolution on the matter soon, Jones said he hopes that's the case.
"I think it is, but you know I don't make those decisions," he said. "You'd like to think that at some point here they're going to go ahead and do it."
What exactly will happen when the NFL eventually does rule is a matter of mass scrutiny. There have been reports of a rumored suspension for Elliott going back as far as several months ago. As recently as Monday morning, Cris Carter said he expected Elliott to be suspended this week.
At the same time, Jerry Jones has been equally adamant that no discipline is coming. On Friday, he told reporters he did not expect Elliott to be suspended.
It's hard to know who to believe at this point. But one way or another, Stephen Jones said he anticipates a decision soon.
"Right now, as far as we're concerned, they have any information that they need to make a decision – as far as we're concerned," he said. "We've seen the report, and certainly at some point we expect a decision."
Even if the decision comes soon, this particular investigation will have lasted for roughly 13 months. Asked if he'd like to see the process changed, Jones was careful not to be too critical – but he did allow that the league should strive for improvement.
"You would hope so. These things are tough for everybody. It's tough for the league, it's tough for the team, it's tough for the player," he said. "I think, at some point, you should be able to get the information in some sort of timeframe that it doesn't carry on like this particular investigation has."
