greg hardy
Greg Hardy hasn't played since Week 1 of the 2014 NFL season. Reuters

The Dallas Cowboys might not have their biggest free-agent signee for more than half of the upcoming season. The NFL has suspended Greg Hardy for the first 10 games of 2015 without pay for the domestic violence charges he faced last year.

On July 16, 2014, a judge sentenced Hardy to 18 months probation for assaulting and threatening his ex-girlfriend. When the then-Carolina Panthers defensive end appealed the ruling and asked for a jury trial, he wasn’t suspended and played in the team’s first game of the season. But Hardy was soon added to the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission List, and he didn’t play for the rest of the year.

The case against Hardy was dismissed in February when he reached a settlement with his ex-girlfriend. Hardy officially became a free agent a month later, signing with the Cowboys for a one-year deal that could be worth up to $13 million. Hardy met with NFL officials on March 4 to discuss his future in the league.

Hardy has three days to appeal his suspension, which he’s expected to do. If he sits out for the first 10 games, he’s slated to make his debut with the Cowboys against the Panthers on Thanksgiving.

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