Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports that the state has dismissed both charges against Panthers DE Greg Hardy.
- Person adds that the judge in the case has accepted the dismissal.
The prosecution said on Monday that numerous attempts to reach Nicole Holder, Hardy’s ex-girlfriend, were unsuccessful.
On top of that, the state has reliable information that a settlement between the parties was agreed to.
Pro Football Talk mentions that just because Hardy’s charges were dismissed doesn’t mean he’s completely out of the woods with the NFL.
During Hardy’s first trial, he was found guilty of assaulting Holder during a party at his uptown condominium. Hardy later filed an appeal.
Yesterday, Person, citing multiple team sources, reported that the Panthers are not expected to bring back Hardy next season.
Hardy was facing a potential six-game suspension from the NFL if he was found guilty of domestic abuse.
Even though he faced charges, people around the league still expect there to be a decent amount of interest in him once free agency is open for business.
“It’s foolish to think that someone won’t (sign Hardy), assuming a not-guilty verdict,” said ESPN analyst Bill Polian. “But it’s also foolish to think there won’t be ramifications to it.”
However, Joel Corry of CBS Sports is more optimistic about Hardy based on how productive he’s been in recent years.
“Hardy’s going to get more of the benefit of the doubt just because he’s a Pro Bowl-caliber player in his prime. 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,” Corry said.
Hardy, 26, will be an unrestricted free agent for the second straight season. Last year, the Panthers used their franchise tag on the defensive end, which paid him a salary of $13.116 million for the 2014 season.
He wound up appearing in just one game and recorded four tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble before he was placed on the commissioners expect list.
We have Hard listed as the No. 7 player in our Top 75 Free Agents list.
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