It was a tumultuous 2014 season for Carolina Panthers defensive end and Harry Potter fan Greg Hardy. He was arrested in May of last year for allegedly assaulting and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, and was placed on the NFL's exempt list in the middle of September, where he remained for 15 regular season games, and two playoff games.
The charges were eventually dismissed after the ex-girlfriend, Nicole Holder, all of the sudden up and disappeared and was unable to be contacted by telephone, which is a sketchy subject in itself. Now, Hardy is applying to be immediately reinstated by the NFL before his suspension officially ends on April 15, so that he may get a jump start on negotiating with the Carolina Panthers or any other team, though NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told ESPN that since no punishment had been handed down, there's "nothing for him to...seek reinstatement from at this point."
Regardless, Hardy is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March, though it is widely expected the NFL will suspend him for a handful of games to begin the season now that his legal situation finally has some clarity. Many of Hardy's teammates have been lobbying to bring the polarizing linebacker back to Carolina, but according to Black and Blue Review, that dream is dead. The Panthers will not look to resign Hardy, and both parties are set on moving on. Hardy will end his five year career as a Panther with 145 tackles and 34 sacks.
A 15-sack defensive end in 2013 is now on the market. Our guess is it won't take long for Hardy to be swooped up, no matter his past transgressions.
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[Via Black and Blue Review]
