ORLANDO, Fla. — Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones does not regret his decision to support Ezekiel Elliott’s appeal of his suspension last season or fight Roger Goodell’s extension, even if it cost him roughly $2 million in legal fees.

Citing a bylaw that had been around since 1997 that says if an owner participates in bringing litigation against other owners he must reimburse them for legal fees, Jones was ordered to reimburse the league. He had his appeal denied by Goodell at a hearing last month.

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  Owners on Tuesday unanimously approved a new catch rule and authorized senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron to eject players from games for egregious non-football acts.

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  Under an unexpected rule passed Tuesday, a player will be penalized 15 yards and potentially ejected any time he lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.

ORLANDO, Fla. — New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels publicly addressed his decision to back out of the Indianapolis Colts head-coaching job for the first time on Monday, telling The Boston Globe that everything changed two days after the Super Bowl when owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick clarified his situation with the team.

That included an adjustment to his contract, which had one year remaining, according to The Globe.

“I wasn’t 100 percent sure what the future was,” McDaniels told the newspaper. “So, where did I fit in? Were there any plans? I just didn’t have much clarity on what my role was here moving forward. … Once I heard from Robert and Bill on that Tuesday, it just gave me reason to pause and consider this whole situation. …

“When they kind of crystallized that — ‘Hey, here’s what we see going forward and here’s how we would like you to fit into it’ — it gave me a reason to stop and say, ‘All right, what’s the best decision for me?’ And certainly it was difficult. But I made the decision on my own, nobody pushed me into it.”

At the same time, McDaniels was given no assurances for the future, according to The Globe. McDaniels told the newspaper it “was as difficult a decision as I’ve ever made professionally.” He also said he spoke with the three assistant coaches who had been hired to be part of his Colts staff, all of whom are staying in Indianapolis.

“It was never my intention to go into this and put anybody in an awkward position or do any harm to anybody or do anything to hurt anybody’s career,” he told The Globe. “I just felt like once I knew the whole picture and I had the opportunity to make a decision, it was tough but I feel like I made the right one.”

McDaniels praised Colts general manager Chris Ballard, calling him an “incredible human being” and added, “Indianapolis did a tremendous job. They have a tremendous organization and I was lucky to be considered. I just think once I found out [the Patriots’ plans for me], I made the right decision for me and my family at this time.”

ORLANDO, Fla. — New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Sunday it wasn’t until after Super Bowl LII that the club had detailed discussions with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels about his future with the team, which ultimately gave McDaniels new information to consider after he accepted the Indianapolis Colts’ head-coaching job.

Belichick’s remarks shed light on one of the shocking decisions of the NFL offseason: McDaniels’ spurning the Colts.

“Once that game ended, I think that really gave Josh and I a chance to sit down and talk more directly about the situation, as opposed to, ‘We really want to talk about the game and what we need to do to try to compete in that game.’ That’s basically what happened,” Belichick said Sunday at the NFL’s annual meeting. “Before the game, I’d say we had minimal discussions. I’d say we had much deeper and longer and more in-depth and more constructive discussions immediately after the game.”

McDaniels interviewed with the Colts during the playoff bye week and had a second interview later in the playoffs.

His decision to back out of an agreement with the Colts shocked many around the NFL, with Indianapolis ultimately moving on to hire Frank Reich.

In a meeting with a small group of local reporters, Belichick said of McDaniels’ return, “We got back from Minnesota, I had an opportunity to talk to Josh, and we were able to work some things out. I’m thrilled he’s still with us and is going to continue in his role. I think he’s a top offensive coordinator in the league. He’s done a great job for me for a long time in a lot of different roles. I’m very glad, based on the meeting we had — there were a number of things that happened — that we were able to work that out and keep him with us.”

Belichick said McDaniels continues to carry out the responsibilities he has had in the past and is working “extremely hard.”

The Dallas Cowboys are expected to sign free-agent offensive tackle Cameron Fleming, a league source told ESPN’s Field Yates.

This means the New England Patriots are poised to lose both of their starting offensive tackles from Super Bowl LII, as starting left tackle Nate Solder signed with the New York Giants.

The Cowboys also restructured the contract of 11-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, creating roughly $3.5 million in salary-cap space, sources told ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Witten’s is the second contract the Cowboys have reworked in the past week, along with the deal of Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick that created nearly $7 million in cap room.

The 320-pound Fleming, who entered the NFL as a 2014 fourth-round draft pick of the Patriots, rotated between third and fourth on the depth chart at the start of the regular season. He ultimately became the top replacement for injured right tackle Marcus Cannon by the end of the season.