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With Darrelle Revis case closed, why is Ezekiel Elliott's still under review?

Ezekiel Elliott still has the cloud of a possible suspension hovering over him. Tom Pennington/Getty Images

FRISCO, Texas -- In February, Darrelle Revis was arrested on a charge of felony assault. In March, the charge was dismissed. On Monday, the NFL said the free-agent cornerback and one of the best cornerbacks of his generation would not face any league-imposed discipline for the incident.

All it took was three months.

Last July, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was questioned by Columbus, Ohio, police after a former girlfriend alleged an incident in which Elliott forcibly pulled her out of a car. The district attorney chose not to pursue charges against Elliott because of conflicting stories. Witnesses at the scene said they did not see an assault occur.

Ten months later, the NFL said the incident remains under review.

How can Revis' case be wrapped up in three months and Elliott's still be under review?

"Every matter is different," a league spokesman said by e-mail.

In 2014, Ray Rice was suspended for just two games after he punched his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City hotel elevator but was suspended indefinitely after video of the incident was made public. Last season, New York Giants kicker Josh Brown was suspended one game for a domestic-violence incident with his wife.

Last October, documents in which Brown admitted he physically, verbally and emotionally abused his wife emerged. The Giants cut Brown, whom they signed to a two-year deal after the 2015 season.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has been upset with the pace of the Elliott investigation. He believes the due process of law should supersede what the league can impose and that essentially Elliott is being treated unfairly.

Since the July incident, Jones has supported Elliott.

"There is just nothing," Jones said from the combine in February. "I know I would have heard about it. I would have the information if there were something. I know that."

When the Cowboys' season ended in January, Elliott said he wanted "closure."

"I would rather it not drag on this long," Elliott said. "If there was something to find, which there's not, they would've found it by now. The police did a very thorough investigation. It just seems like they're dragging their feet right now. Who knows, man? I'm just ready for it to end."

According to the league’s personal conduct policy, a player can be punished by the NFL even if he does not face legal punishment. A first-time violation of the policy carries a six-game suspension, but it also allows for a lesser penalty if mitigating factors are involved.

The Cowboys' third-round pick, Jourdan Lewis, has a court date in July for a misdemeanor domestic-violence charge in March. Jones said the Cowboys did their due diligence on the incident and are confident in Lewis' character.

Lewis believes the charges will be dropped.

"I think I will be exonerated from everything," Lewis said. "I'm completely innocent. I believe that wholeheartedly. And I'm just going to have to see what happens in my next trial date."

Because this happened before he was selected by an NFL team, Lewis would not face an NFL penalty. Since Elliott's incident happened after he was selected by the Cowboys, he could face possible discipline.

Because the incident remains under review, the Cowboys almost have to prepare for the possibility of some kind of penalty to Elliott, who led the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards last season.

Losing Elliott for even one game would hurt the Cowboys' playoff chances.

The NFL doesn't care about playoff chances. It doesn't want to look bad should something arise in the future.

So it remains under review evidently -- with no end in sight.