Greg Hardy’s case was one of several ugly incidents involving NFL players last summer. The Panthers defensive end was found guilty of assaulting and threatening to kill his girlfriend, Nicole Holder, which he appealed. And while it didn’t receive the attention that the Ray Rice or Adrian Peterson cases did, it because part of the larger discussion about the NFL’s stance against domestic abuse, or its lack thereof.
Hardy was eventually placed on the commissioner exempt list last September, essentially suspending him (with pay) until his appeal was resolved. Well, it seems the case has been resolved. On the day it was supposed to begin, it was suddenly dismissed on Monday because the State can’t find Holder:
“The victim appears to have intentionally made herself unavailable to the State. The DA’s Office has also been made aware that the victim has reached a civil settlement with Mr. Hardy.”
So, was the victim essentially paid off by Hardy to disappear? Or did she not want to go through the humiliation of a jury trial? Perhaps it was a bit of both. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see how Roger Goodell handles Hardy, and what the Panthers decide to do with him. He’s an unrestricted free agent, still only 26 years old, and coming off a 15-sack season in his last full year. Someone is going to pay him, it’s just a question of whether that team will be Carolina or not.
