Another layer has been added to the now-closed case against Greg Hardy, and it’s not a good look for the Dallas Cowboys defensive end.
Deadspin on Friday released an exhaustive story revisiting the incident from May 2014, when Hardy was still with the Carolina Panthers.
Hardy was accused of assaulting his former girlfriend in Charlotte. The charges against Hardy eventually were dropped in February after the accuser failed to show up to testify, but Hardy was suspended 10 games by the NFL, a ban that eventually was reduced to four games.
Any hard evidence against Hardy has been kept out of the public eye — until the Deadspin report Friday. The site posted nearly 50 photos of accuser Nicole Holder. The photos show the multiple injuries sustained by Holder, with a good portion of her body covered in bruises.
The NFL suspended Hardy in April after the league was able to see the photographic evidence released Friday. The league handed down the aforementioned 10-game suspension, but was eventually overruled by an arbitrator.
“The egregious conduct exhibited here is indefensible in the NFL,” arbtitrator Harold Henderson wrote in his ruling. “However, 10 games is simply too much, in my view, of an increase over prior cases without notice such as was done last year, when the ‘baseline’ for discipline in domestic violence or sexual assault cases was announced as a six-game suspension.”
Hardy made his Dallas debut Week 5 against the New England Patriots. In the week leading up to that game, the defensive end made what some saw as off-color remarks about Tom Brady and his wife, Gisele Bundchen. Additionally, Hardy got into a sideline shouting match with wide receiver Dez Bryant and the Cowboys coaching staff in a Week 7 game against the New York Giants. After that on-field spat, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones actually defended Hardy, calling him a “leader” on the team.
The Cowboys haven’t made any additional comments since Friday’s Deadspin report was released. Hardy and the Cowboys will be featured in primetime during one of the NFL’s marquee games this weekend when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
UPDATE (2:05 p.m. ET): ESPN reports the Cowboys are aware of the report but have no comment on the matter.
Click to see all of the photos and the entire Deadspin report >>
Thumbnail photo via Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports Images
