Greg Hardy’s first season with the Dallas Cowboys could ultimately be his last, as his production didn’t necessarily make up for the reported issues that came along with him.
Hardy signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys last March, and while he showed signs of being an impact player after serving a four-game suspension to start the year, there were other matters, both reported and otherwise, throughout the season.
The Cowboys missed the playoffs, Hardy is now a free agent, and a SportsDay report lays out a few reasons why the Cowboys might not commit long-term to Hardy.
According to SportsDay’s Brandon George, Hardy was a “constant headache” for Dallas head coach Jason Garrett, as George adds Garrett met with Hardy at least four times to discuss the defensive end’s conduct.
“Hardy became such a worry over the last month of the season,” George wrote, “that the club increased its involvement, providing a more active support staff to check in on him, a source said.”
The act apparently wore thin on teammates, too. The SportsDay report indicates Hardy lost the support of teammates — teammates who supported him earlier in the season — after he was constantly late for team meetings. None of those reported instances of tardiness ever affected Hardy’s playing time, which didn’t sit well with teammates, according to the report.
Of course, it probably would have been a little easier to deal with Hardy’s shortcomings had he been more successful on the field. Hardy recorded just six sacks in the 12 games he played, and only two of those sacks came in the final eight games.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
