The Dallas Cowboys have given no thought to disciplining defensive end Greg Hardy for his sideline outbursts in Sunday's loss to the New York Giants, but they are hopeful of keeping him with the team beyond 2015.
"When we initially signed, talked to him, asked him to join the team, it was not only with the idea of the short term but a long-term purview," owner and general manager Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday. "He's, relatively speaking, a young player, and he certainly has the kinds of skills and impact that we want to look to the future with with the Cowboys."
The Cowboys signed Hardy to a one-year deal last March that did not include any guaranteed money, but could earn him up to $13.1 million over a full season. Because he was suspended for four games, he will not be able to fully cash in, but he earns $578,125 for every week he is on the 53-man roster and has a chance to cash in on sack incentives. He has three sacks in his two games.
Under the terms of the agreement with Hardy, the Cowboys cannot place the franchise or transition tag on him in the offseason.
Executive vice president Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Monday that an extension with Hardy is "very much a possibility."
As for Hardy's sideline incident with special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, Jones said his thoughts today are no different than after Sunday's game, when the owner said Hardy was a leader and that he encouraged that kind of passion.
"I would say they said that when I signed [Hardy], so you begin right there," Jones said Tuesday. "I really do understand completely their perspective, and they know I don't need to say it again, [but] that in no way is anybody anything but against any type of domestic violence.
"We won't get into that. That's not the point. We're talking about the sidelines, but you're going to go and take me on over to that aspect of it. The most comments I got on enabling was when we signed him. 'They're enabling. It looks like you're basically condoning domestic violence,' which is not the case."
Hardy missed the first four games while suspended under the NFL's personal conduct policy. He was convicted last year of assault on a female and communicating threats in a case involving a former girlfriend. But the charges were dismissed in February after prosecutors said the accuser in the case couldn't be found.
After signing with Dallas, Hardy was suspended for 10 games by the NFL for conduct detrimental to the league, a penalty that was later reduced to four games.
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