The 2017 football season has been anything but a smooth ride for Dallas Cowboy star, running back Ezekiel “Zeke” Elliott. Coming off a record-breaking rookie season, the 2017 season was meant to be the year that Zeke the Beast became the premier face of the NFL.

In the months leading up to the 2017-2018 season, much news regarding a possible domestic abuse situation arose concerning a former girlfriend from Columbus, Ohio, where Elliott played collegiate football for The Ohio State University. She claimed there were multiple incidents of physical and verbal abuse, however none of the mistreatment was ever proven. Of the 66 pages of police reports and investigations, not a single incident was ever regarded as factual, but rather as “allegations.”

While this may certainly be Elliott’s first altercation that required the NFL to intervene, this is by no means his first run in with law. When Elliott was leading Ohio State University to a National Championship, he was a staple in the club and partying scene and would often fall under disciplinary actions from clubs, the law, and even the athletic department.

At one point fellow NFL player and former Ohio State football teammate, Joey Bosa, moved out of their shared apartment to escape the constant partying and lifestyle that Elliott carried with him.

According to the United States justice system, “all are considered innocent, until proven guilty,” however the NFL seems to believe otherwise. Even though Elliott has not been criminally tried or convicted, the NFL has attempted to issue a six-game suspension that for the 2017 season, however through various appeals processes, Elliott’s legal team has been able to postpone the suspension for the time being.

“I think that Zeke should not be suspended due to the authorities not proving the allegations,” St. Edward’s freshman Jayce Bazan said. The NFL in the past few years has been especially tough on domestic abuse following the situation with Ray Rice and his now wife, Janay Palmer. Rice was a Super Bowl winning running back with the Baltimore Ravens that was involved in a domestic abuse situation that was caught on tape.

On the video, Ray Rice and his wife were alone in an elevator arguing when Rice unleashed a vicious right hook that resulted in the immediate knockout of his then fiancée. Since then Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken a no nonsense approach towards domestic abuse and believes in swift and justified punishment, such as the one he has attempted to issue upon Ezekiel Elliott.

Goodell’s course of action with Elliott begs the question: is it truly just and right if nothing has been proven by the law?