Jerry Jones appeal over $2 million reimbursement will happen Monday

It’s become a never-ending story over the last year - Jerry Jones versus the NFL. After all the mess that occurred in the 2017 season with the Ezekiel Elliott suspension and Jerry’s threat of suing the NFL over Roger Goodell’s new contract extension, we aren’t quite done with it yet. It was recently revealed that the NFL is seeking to recoup over $2 million in legal fees it says were the direct result of Jones’ actions during the litigation and threats of litigation involving last year’s actions.

Jerry Jones has asked for an appeal date, and has gotten one. He will go before Roger Goodell on Monday to plead his case.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will appeal the NFL’s decision to seek reimbursement of legal fees stemming from his actions related to Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension and commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract extension, a source confirmed to ESPN.

A hearing has been set for Monday, a source said. The hearing will not be in New York, but the location is not yet known.

Contrary to the initial reports, this isn’t a fine levied by Roger Goodell in retaliation for the events of 2017. It turns out some other owners asked for the reimbursement based on a 1997 rule.

The league’s order arises from a 1997 resolution that requires any owner who takes legal action against the league to cover both sides’ legal costs. The resolution has been utilized previously, said one person familiar with the issue, who declined to provide specifics about past instances in which owners have been required to reimburse legal expenses of the NFL or other teams.

In this case, a large number of owners supported the order for Jones to repay the legal expenses, according to multiple people within the league. One of those people estimated that as many as 29 of the 32 teams are in favor of the league’s action against Jones. The matter was reviewed by owners on the league’s finance committee.

It will be interesting to see if Goodell will reduce the payment in any substantial way. It will also be interesting to see how the NFL justifies asking for $2 million in a case that never actually happened, since Jones never actually sued the league. And it was the NFLPA who brought the Elliott suspension to court, not the Cowboys.

Hopefully, one day, this whole saga will come to an end.