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The Dallas Cowboys might very well have an Ezekiel Elliott problem on their hands. Elliott, who remains under investigations by the NFL for an alleged domestic violence incident back in 2016, could still face a suspension.

Add in a March incident where Elliott pulled a woman's shirt down in a parade as well as a late July incident involving Elliott being around a situation late at a Dallas bar as well as Elliott dealing with charges of speeding over 100 miles per hour in his car as well as Elliott visiting a marijuana dispensary in Seattle and you have a lot of smoke with a situation that could contain fire.

Jerry Jones has previously called the situation "not good" (a massive understatement) and this week said that Elliott is still learning how to deal with "rock star" attention.

Maybe there's a deeper issue? Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis, appearing on the "Rich Eisen Show" believes the problem might relate to the Cowboys locker room. Specifically, that the Cowboys do not have the veterans in place in the locker room -- Dak Prescott is the quarterback now and part of the same draft class as Elliott -- to police Zeke's behavior and reel the young running back in.

"Here's part of the problem. That team, in terms of the core players, they're young guys. You don't have any of those guys able to pull him back and say 'Listen, you can't do this, you can't do that, listen to me when I say these kind of things,'" Bettis said. "You don't have that kind of guy in the locker room yet to do that. They're kind of flying blind so to speak, because you don't have ... the quarterback is the same age and you don't have that guy to pull him back and say 'Hey, shut it down.'"

Bettis' initial advice for Elliott was to simply "keep your head down" but what he said later makes more sense: "Stay in the house and don't get into any more trouble."

Elliott was the NFL's leading rusher last season. He burst onto the scene, along with Prescott, as a fun-to-watch player that rejuvenated the Cowboys offense and playoff hopes after Tony Romo went down in the preseason.

But for as much fun as he is to watch on the field, there should be major concerns brewing off the field when it comes to Elliott's behavior. The NFL investigation could lead on its own to a suspension.

Coupled with all the other incidents he's dealing with this offseason, it feels more and more likely that he will ultimately miss time.

Will Brinson joined CBS Sports in 2010 and enters his seventh season covering the NFL for CBS. He previously wrote for FanHouse along with myriad other Internet sites. A North Carolina native who lives... Full Bio

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Jerome Bettis says Ezekiel Elliott's problems stem from Cowboys locker room

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The Dallas Cowboys might very well have an Ezekiel Elliott problem on their hands. Elliott, who remains under investigations by the NFL for an alleged domestic violence incident back in 2016, could still face a suspension.

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Opptrends - News, Reviews and Rumors 2017

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The saga regarding Elliott's suspension is still going on, and as things are now, it doesn't seem that it will end anytime soon. The latest development in his case came on Monday when the league officially filed an appeal of a preliminary injunction that was awarded to Zeke on Friday. This now means that Elliott will be granted to play for the foreseeable future, but his battle against the NFL is far from over. There are a lot of past disciplinary battles, and if they are any indicator, it will likely be a long and messy process.

But today we will focus on something else instead. We will try and think about why is this suspension actually good for Zeke, and his moving forward. We are all aware that there are tons of evidence for that domestic violence case which stars Cowboys RB and his former girlfriend Tiffany Thompson, and we have to admit that no matter how big of a Dallas or Elliot fan we are. Thanks to the credibility of his ex Zeke wasn't charged with domestic violence in two different states by the local law enforcement. But one thing must be understood, no matter who is this about, domestic violence is a very serious crime, and no man should ever hit or hurt a woman, and that is it, there shouldn't be any gray areas. Zeke or no Zeke if you do the crime, you should do the time, plain and simple. And here is why "doing time" could be good for Elliott.

First of all, the guy has been out of control lately, everyone can admit to this. If you follow the titles surrounding him before this suspension thing, you could very easily spot a pattern of outrageous and/or disturbing behavior. If this domestic violence case falls through, he should actually be suspended for acting foolish. Why? Well, ever since that St. Patrick's Day party incident to the alleged knocking out a DJ, he has always been around trouble, if not instigating one. If nothing else, this suspension should teach Zeke to appreciate the time and opportunity he received in the NFL. The other thing he should know is that, if he continues this treacherous path, he might end up in the gutter and loose all of his financial security. That means no more games, no more endorsements, no more money which usually equals to even more problems and troubles.

This suspension could be good for him in a way that he could use the time off to resolve any issues and demons he has, no matter what is it. He should get straight, get his mind in the game and start thinking about the future, his future. He also must think about the fact that the NFL saw a lot of talent wasted because of things like this or similar. He actually possesses the talent and athleticism to lead the NFL in rushing and even make the Pro Bowl or something. He must be aware of this and not allow to be one of those corny phrases that we often read or hear like: "you know he would've made it to the NFL if not for problems," or even worse "that young man had the best talent in the world, but he let go down the drain because he stayed in trouble."

The one NFL player who was in a similar situation was Hall of Fame wide receiver and former Ohio State Buckeyes star Cris Carter who after receiving the help he needed amounted to something that led him to the Hall of Fame. Carter had failed a test for illegal substances use and shortly after that, he was cut during the preseason. After receiving a second chance with the Minnesota Vikings and the help he needed, this guy became a famous success story. Zeke must be aware that this might happen to him as well, but he also must be mindful of the fact that if he continues this dark road, there might not be a second chance for him. These success stories, unfortunately, do not happen to everyone.

My name is Miloš Kalajdžić and I come from Brčko DC in Bosnia. I was born on July 20 th 1988 and so far I obtained a BSc in economics and one year of working experience in my field of study. I am a very hard-working person who leaves nothing unfinished and halfway done. When I commit to something I give my best to make sure that everything is done the way as it is supposed to be. I like cars and everything that comes with them. My passion are American muscle cars, but unfortunately the closest I managed to come near one is behind my laptop watching an image of the new Chevy or Dodge and writing about it. But that's ok I'm still optimistic. When I'm not behind the laptop writing I'm on the streets and auto shows admiring all stuff rolling on four wheels being propelled by a petrol engine!

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The suspension of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott might actually be good for him

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The saga regarding Elliott's suspension is still going on, and as things are now, it doesn't seem that it will end anytime soon. The latest development in his case came on Monday when the league officially filed an appeal of a preliminary injunction that was awarded to Zeke on Friday.

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Here's something to chew on: How will the NFL handle a domestic violence case against a bright young star on a marquee franchise? Would the league, in a season in which its TV ratings have cratered, really suspend the running back who is a prime candidate for rookie of the year and happens to play for the franchise formerly known as America's Team?

We might soon find out how strictly the NFL implements its personal conduct policy.

It's a conundrum that stems from a report by CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora that Ezekiel Elliott "could face a lengthy suspension" because of an NFL investigation into allegations of domestic violence. A former girlfriend filed a police report last summer in Ohio in which she alleged that there had been five instances of abuse. Elliott denied the accusations and he was not charged on any of the allegations after prosecutors determined there was "conflicting and inconsistent information across all incidents resulting in concern regarding the sufficiency of the evidence to support the filing of criminal charges."

The NFL reserves the right to investigate, too, and it is continuing to do so. It has, especially in the recent past with Tom Brady, shown no reluctance to punish star players. "Discipline," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in an email to The Post, "will be imposed if it is warranted. The review is ongoing under the personal conduct policy."

Under that two-year-old policy governing domestic violence incidents and allegations, which tightened after the Ray Rice fiasco, Elliott could still be suspended in the absence of charges. There is no timetable for the NFL's investigations; its baseline policy calls for a six-game suspension for the first instance of abuse. Consideration, however, can be given to "aggravating or mitigating factors," however, which helps explain the one-game penalty for New York Giants kicker Josh Brown last summer. He was released last week by the Giants after the league, the team and its owner were essentially shamed into making a decision on whether to keep him.

[Sally Jenkins: In Roger Goodell's NFL, end-zone dances matter more than domestic violence]

Whatever the league decides about Elliott, the backdrop will be the intense criticism Commissioner Roger Goodell and Giants owner John Mara faced when it became apparent that the punishment after Brown's admission of incidents involving his now ex-wife did not conform to league policy.

Mara pointed out that the Giants did not know "the extent" of alleged incidents involving Brown, a comment that led many to wonder how much domestic violence is acceptable. "He's admitted to us he's abused his wife in the past," Mara told WFAN, "but what I think is a little unclear is the extent of that."

Goodell, after saying that he and the NFL would do better two years ago in the aftermath of the league's domestic violence crisis, offered an explanation that sounded a lot like fansplaining, talking down in an effort to explain the situation.

"I understand the public's misunderstanding of those things and how that can be difficult for them to understand how we get to those positions," Goodell told the BBC. "But those are things that we have to do. I think it's a lot deeper and a lot more complicated than it appears, but it gets a lot of focus."

Elliott, the No. 4 draft pick out of Ohio State, leads the league in rushing yardage and recently met with the NFL's investigators, USA Today reported. La Canfora reported that Jerry Jones, the Cowboys' owner, recently approached Lisa Friel, the former prosecutor who is the NFL's domestic violence adviser, over the matter at an owners' meeting. However, La Canfora reported that Friel did not respond to Jones.

Whatever happens in this case, and it may very well be that nothing is warranted, everyone will be watching closely.

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Investigation into Ezekiel Elliott domestic violence could put NFL policy to the test

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Here's something to chew on: How will the NFL handle a domestic violence case against a bright young star on a marquee franchise? Would the league, in a season in which its TV ratings have cratered, really suspend the running back who is a prime candidate for rookie of the year and happens to play for the franchise formerly known as America's Team?