Judge Amos Mazzant has issued a new order in the Ezekiel Elliott case. And, as they do in most things, the NFL and the NFL Players Association disagree as to what it means.
The NFLPA believes that the order from the judge who initially issued the injunction blocking the suspension keeps the injunction in place until Elliott has a chance to file a petition for rehearing before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and until the Fifth Circuit issues a ruling on the petition. The NFL believes that the latest order from Judge Mazzant simply keeps the case alive (but does not reinstate the injunction) pending a ruling from the Fifth Circuit on the question of whether the mandate to dismiss the case will be recalled, at the request of the NFLPA.
Reasonable minds can differ as to what Judge Mazzant’s ruling actually means. Here’s the bottom line — the Fifth Circuit undoubtedly will provide further clarity by Monday or Tuesday of the coming week.
The NFLPA continues to believe that the Fifth Circuit should have left the injunction in place until Elliott has a fair chance to determine whether to seek a petition for rehearing (by rule, he has 14 days to file it), and until the Fifth Circuit issues a ruling on the petition for rehearing. With the Cowboys not playing until next Sunday, the Fifth Circuit has time to give the parties the clarity they seek, regardless of the proper interpretation of Judge Mazzant’s latest order.