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There is no denying defensive end Greg Hardy’s talent on the field. Unfortunately, the NFL has become a league that will no longer tolerate outrageous off-the-field antics. It is for that reason the Carolina Panthers have wisely decided to move on from the soon-to-be free agent.
Carolina placed the franchise tag on Hardy last year after he was denied the long-term contract that he desired. However, he only appeared in one game after he was found guilty of domestic abuse in June of last year. More specifically, he will stand on a jury trial next week for assaulting and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder.
If at the very least he is found guilty, Hardy will be required to miss six games in 2015 thanks to the new rules implemented by the NFL. Of course, that is assuming a team will be willing to take a chance on him considering the baggage that will follow.
The good news for the 26 year old is he still has plenty of mileage to have a productive NFL career. The fact that there are several teams on the verge of contention that could use a player who can consistently get after the quarterback means Hardy should not have a problem finding a new team.
“Hardy’s going to get more of the benefit of the doubt just because he’s a Pro Bowl-caliber player in his prime,” former sports agent Joel Corry recently said, according to CBS Sports. “So that’s going to tip the scales for some owners that [think], I know you’ve got issues, but this guy can really play. If he couldn’t really play, he might be out of the league.”
His 34 sacks in 63 career games speaks volumes of what he can accomplishment on the gridiron, and that is really the only thing certain teams are going to care about.
Still, the Panthers have made the correct decision to cut ties with him because there is no way they can, with a good conscious, employ someone of his noted behavior.
Michael Terrill is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
