FRISCO, Texas >> The NFL is trying to accelerate the timeline in its appeal of a federal judge’s injunction that blocked Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension over a domestic violence case.

The NFL quickly answered a filing from Elliott’s attorneys today, telling U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant that the league would immediately go to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans if he didn’t rule on its request for a stay of his injunction by Thursday.

The legal maneuverings are unlikely to keep last year’s NFL rushing leader from playing Sunday at Denver. He had already been cleared to play in a season-opening win over the New York Giants before Mazzant granted his request for an injunction.

The NFL had until Friday to respond to arguments from Elliott’s camp against Mazzant rescinding his own order blocking the suspension. In that scenario, Mazzant wouldn’t have ruled until next week.