Garrett: Cowboys RB Elliott ‘seems very focused’

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott “seems very focused” a day after getting the news he is eligible to play in Sunday night’s season opener against the New York Giants even though an arbitrator upheld his six-game suspension handed down by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Elliott was on the practice field Wednesday for the only padded practice of the week, but his eligibility to play beyond Week 1 remained in question.

“He seems very focused, locked in on meetings, the walk-through,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett told reporters. “We’ll have a good practice today. He’s done an excellent job in his preparation.

“He was not able to be at the walk-through that we had at the end of the day (Tuesday), but he’s really been at everything else. Last week when he went up to New York prior to the Houston game that we were supposed to play he missed those days, but other than that he’s been here and doing everything we’ve asked him to do, and he’s done an excellent job in his preparation.”

Elliott’s six-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s domestic-violence policy was upheld by league arbitrator Harold Henderson on Tuesday. The second-year running back will be allowed to play Sunday because of the timing of the announcement.

The NFL Players Association previously filed a restraining order seeking to block any suspension for Elliott, and a U.S. District Court judge is due to rule Friday on the injunction.

Garrett, who did not speak with Elliott after the rulings on Tuesday, said they spoke Wednesday morning.

“I think the biggest thing for all of us is to focus on what we need to do each and every day,” Garrett told reporters. “That’s been a point that we’ve tried to emphasize to our team for a long, long time. Our team understands the importance of that. In order to be your best, you’ve got to focus on yourself and what you need to do in your preparation to play your best football. So that’s really where our focus is. We don’t spend a lot of time on other stuff.”

The NFLPA’s case is centered around the argument that the league violated its own disciplinary process under the collective bargaining agreement. Elliott would be allowed to continue playing while his federal case works its way through the legal system. If denied, Elliott would begin serving his suspension with the Cowboys’ Sept. 17 game at Denver. On Monday, the NFL filed a motion to have the NFLPA’s restraining-order request dismissed.

Elliott, who was not arrested nor charged in the case, maintains his innocence after being accused of assaulting his former girlfriend, Tiffany Thompson. The original punishment was issued by Goodell on Aug. 11 after a 13-month league investigation.

Elliott, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft, led the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards during his rookie season.