Greg Hardy, pass rusher and asshole extraordinaire, will miss the first 10 games of the NFL season.
The former Carolina Panthers defensive end was signed by the Cowboys in March after a 2014 season that saw him miss 15 games. Hardy was placed on the commissioner's exempt list -- read: suspended with pay -- for a May 2014 incident during which he allegedly grabbed his girlfriend, threw her on the floor, strangled her, threw her into a bathtub and slammed her into a futon weighed down with loaded guns. Nicole Holder, his girlfriend at the time, told police Hardy threatened to shoot her if she told anyone.
A judge convicted Hardy for assaulting Holder in July 2014. He appealed, asking for a jury trial, as was his right under North Carolina law. The charges against him were dismissed because Holder stopped cooperating with authorities. At the time, prosecutors said there was no chance of a civil trial because Hardy and Holder had reached a financial settlement, according to the Charlotte Observer.
The NFL based its suspension of Hardy on the results of an investigation led by Lisa Friel, senior league advisor and former New York County sex crimes prosecutor.
From the NFL's statement about the investigation:
"The NFL's investigation concluded that Hardy violated the Personal Conduct Policy by using physical force against Nicole Holder in at least four instances. First, he used physical force against her which caused her to land in a bathtub. Second, he used physical force against her which caused her to land on a futon that was covered with at least four semi-automatic rifles. Third, he used physical force against her by placing his hands around Ms. Holder's neck and applying enough pressure to leave visible marks. And fourth, he used physical force to shove Ms. Holder against a wall in his apartment's entry hallway."
Hardy will forfeit approximately $5.79 million from his incentive-laden contract during the suspension. He'll be allowed to participate in training camp and preseason games until his suspension begins on September 5.
