*Greg Hardy’s days as a Dallas Cowboy are apparently over.
According to Scout.com, sources from CowboysHQ.com confessed that despite the controversial free-agent pass-rusher’s desire to make a solid comeback in Dallas and public support from fellow Cowboy Dez Bryant, the team has decided it is “done” with Hardy.
The reason for Hardy’s dismissal lies in what the site mentioned as concerns about what it “delicately described as ‘The Uptown Flu,’” according to Scout, which noted Hardy’s frequent tardiness.
The issue was among several things Hardy discussed with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and coach Jason Garrett during several meetings about his behavior off-field and the potential distractions they caused. Even Hardy’s teammate Jeremy Mincey — who counts Hardy as a friend — referenced his lateness when suggesting that Hardy’s tardiness chipped away at the foundation of the team’s locker room.
News of the Cowboys’ stance on Hardy comes two years after he was named an All-Pro during his time as part of the Carolina Panthers. Despite his accomplishments, Hardy knows his history of domestic violence and the case that resulted has significantly impacted his earning potential. Chatting with Scout, the athlete admitted that the notion of him playing under a $100-million contract is slipping away.
Playing during the last six weeks of the last season, Hardy only had 1.5 sacks. Overall, Hardy collected six sacks in his partial season, earning $8.8 million, despite times when he “looked good.”
Nevertheless, Hardy’s rep for being high-maintenance off the field was something that was amounted to a negative, in addition to his domestic violence troubles.
“As much as it might eventually get spun this way, the Cowboys aren’t making a ‘moral judgment’’ here in regard to the domestic-violence situation,” Scout reports. “And while there is almost always a “threshold” at which a team can put up with a problem — meaning, in this case, if Hardy is available at some ridiculously cheap price — it usually seems wise to be in that ‘Never-Say-Never’ Club. Remember, Dallas was not interested in Hardy last year as a tier-one free agent but swooped in quickly when he slipped a tier. Nevertheless, “done” is a strong statement.
In light of their new situation, the Cowboys will be on the hunt for a pass-rusher this spring as they work to repeat the success it previously had with free agency without any added drama.
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