When a major suspension is handed down in the NFL, it's inevitable to wonder if--or when--the appeal process will side with the player.

In the case of Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, an appeal and possible hail mary to play in Week 1 vs. the Giants are on the table. While there's certainly a chance that an appeal grants Elliott a reprieve or lesser suspension than the six games he's staring out right now, things actually could get worse for the second-year back.

As The Dallas Morning News points out, the Elliott suspension was centered around a domestic abuse allegation. That's what the NFL looked into for more than a year before coming down with discipline on Dallas' key player.

In that year, other off-the-field incidents--pulling down a woman's shirt and exposing her breast during a St. Patrick's Day parade and a bar fight that left a man with a broken nose--followed Elliott.

Those incidents didn't factor into the six-game ban for Elliott. If further incriminating information emerges to the NFL about either, it's possible that the league could actually add games to Elliott's ledger.

The NFL's year-long investigation only looked into the domestic violence allegations against Elliott and an incident in March in Dallas, where the running back was seen on video exposing a woman's breast during a St. Paddy's Day festivity. On July 16, Elliott was involved in a bar altercation in Dallas, a source said, where a local disc jockey was punched in the face and had his nose broken. Dallas police closed their investigation into the incident, however, two days later because the alleged victim wasn't cooperating in the case. The NFL, however, could investigate the matter on its own and pursue further action against Elliott - despite the running back having never been arrested or charged in the incident - if enough evidence is collected and Elliott is found to be responsible for the punch.

While this revelation doesn't mean more discipline or a longer suspension is coming, it's noteworthy for a couple reasons.

-The NFL had enough on just the domestic violence claim to put down a six-game ban on one of its biggest stars.

-Elliott is on thin ice moving forward.

As the countdown to Week 1 of the 2017 NFL season commences, Elliott and an appeal process will be in the news. But don't be shocked if the suspension gets bigger--not smaller--between now and the first game of the season.

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.