The NFL is at it again with handling a high-profile case in the worst manner possible. It’s hard to believe they screwed something up again as bad as DeflateGate, but it appears we are headed down the same path with Ezekiel Elliott case. A judge upheld his suspension, but since the verdict came in past the 4:00 pm deadline, Elliott can play this week while having to sit out weeks two through seven. The National Football League has done a horrible job with this case thus far, and it does not seem like it’s going to get better.

While the suspension was upheld, nothing really changed from a legal standpoint. Elliott has until Friday to fill a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), and if he’s granted it, there’s a chance that Zeke will play for the whole season. Albert Breer of the MMQB did a great job breaking down what a TRO is and how it could work in Elliott’s favor. It’s not a lock that the judge rules in Elliott’s favor on Friday. As Breer lays out, it could be a judge whose trying to gather as much information possible to make a concrete decision.

All of this still makes the NFL look like clowns from an organization standpoint. They’ve done nothing to make sure this did not bleed over into the season, and now, it’s a talking topic for people to rail on the NFL as well as give fodder to every broadcast possible. Roger Goodell did flex his muscles a bit in this case given his lead investigator told him not to suspend Elliott yet her opinions were not valued. With a primetime games featuring Goodell at Foxboro and Elliott playing against the Giants, this will be a hot topic all first weekend. Just what the NFL wanted… Focusing on a player who is charged with domestic violence, instead of the start of the season. It fits their brand well.

This is only just the beginning for Elliott and the league.