If Ezekiel Elliot doesn't stay out of trouble, there's a chance he could be banished for life from the NFL. That stern warning came from the league Friday after it announced Elliott's six-game suspension. In a six-page letter to Elliott, the NFL made it very clear that the league has the right to banish him forever if he were to get in trouble again. 

From the letter: 

"You must have no further adverse involvement with law enforcement, and must not commit any additional violations of league policies. In that respect, you should understand that another violation of this nature may result in your suspension or potential banishment from the NFL."

Now, that doesn't mean Elliott would be banished if he gets in trouble again, but it means the punishment would be on the table if he were involved in another domestic violence incident. The NFL's domestic violence policy even notes that a second domestic violence incident will result in "banishment" from the league, with the possibility of applying for reinstatement after one year. The threat from the league means that Elliott needs to stay out of trouble.

As things stand, Elliott will be sitting out the first six games of the 2017 season unless his appeal is successful. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora doesn't see a good chance of that happening. 

Elliott would have to produce new evidence in the case. Elliott's lawyer said Friday that the NFL "cherry-picked" evidence to support its case, and that Elliott didn't do anything wrong. The Cowboys running back also made it clear that he "strongly disagrees" with the suspension and the NFL's findings. 

So what happens next?

As CBSSports.com's Jared Dubin noted Friday, Elliott's appeal will be heard by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell or a designated arbitrator. If the suspension is upheld on appeal, Elliott could choose to take his case to federal court, as Tom Brady did after he was suspended for his alleged role in Deflategate. Brady appealed the suspension, only to see it upheld by Goodell, which led to the federal court case.

If Elliott doesn't accept his suspension -- or the commissioner's decision in a potential appeal -- the case could potentially drag out as long as Brady's.