Report: Greg Hardy Applies New Spring League

Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, citing a person with knowledge of the situation, reports that former Cowboys DE Greg Hardy has submitted an application to play in an independent football league in April.

The Spring League isn’t affiliated with the NFL but is designed to be a new league that will give former NFL draft picks a chance to show that they can still play in the NFL. Pro scouts will be on hand to evaluate players who participate in the league and workouts.

However, Hardy would not receive a salary for playing in this league, according to Maaddi.

The Spring League has also extension invites to notable players including Johnny Manziel and Ray Rice.

Th last we heard regarding Hardy, TMZ Sports reported that he had been charged with felony drug possession and faces serious jail time after he was arrested in Texas last year.

According to TMZ, Hardy was indicted on one count of felony possession of a controlled substance and faces up to two years in prison if convicted. However, it’s considered unlikely that Hardy would receive the maximum punishment for this incident.

Cops in Texas pulled Hard’s 2010 Dodge Challenger over for a turn signal being out. Cops discovered a baggie of cocaine that weighed in at .7 grams.

Hardy’s NFL career is likely over even if he stands out during the Spring League. Hardy was expected to begin transitioning to MMA fighting, but there hasn’t been a lot of news about this since he announced his plans.

Hardy, 28, is a former sixth-round pick of the Panthers back in 2010. He spent five years in Carolina before signing a one-year contract worth $11.3 million with the Cowboys a few years ago.

In 2015, Hardy appeared in 12 games and recorded 35 tackles, six sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a pass defense for the Cowboys. That year, Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 17 defensive end out of 48 qualifying players.