Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, the man the team hopes will play like DeMarco Murray not just for one year but many, has begun his first training camp. And in Elliott’s first meeting with the media, he was asked about allegations of domestic assault that emerged nine days ago.
“I’m not going to talk about anything regarding legal matters right now, but I’d love to talk about football,” Elliott said, via Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
It’s a smart move by Elliott. Anything he says can be used against him, whether in a potential criminal proceeding, a civil action, or within the confines of the ongoing NFL investigation.
Even if prosecutors clear Elliott, he’ll still have to worry about the possibility of a lawsuit or league discipline. Both apply a much lower standard of proof than the criminal justice system.