Commissioner Roger Goodell tasks former NFL executive to hear Ezekiel Elliott's appeal

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tapped former league executive Harold Henderson to hear Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game appeal, the NFL announced Wednesday.

Goodell, under terms of the personal conduct policy that Elliott was found to have violated due to domestic violence accusations, had the authority to hear the appeal, scheduled for Aug. 29. Instead, it will be up to Henderson’s decision to uphold, reduce or vacate the suspension, which was announced last Friday.

“It's the safest way out for Goodell," sports business attorney Daniel Wallach told USA TODAY Sports. “Otherwise, this could quickly devolve into another Deflategate.”

Henderson has served as an appeals officer since 2008. He had served as an NFL executive vice president for labor relations and executive vice president for player development.

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In years past, Henderson heard the appeals of running back Adrian Peterson and defensive Greg Hardy. Henderson upheld Peterson’s indefinite ban over child abuse accusations, which ultimately was overturned in the courts. He reduced Hardy’s ban after his domestic violence arrest from 10 games to four.

Goodell oversaw New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s Deflategate appeal in 2015, which led to a protracted fight in federal court. An appeals court ultimately ruled that Goodell had both the authority to suspend a player and hear the appeal under terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

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