Aaron Hernandez, formerly of the New England Patriots, does not have a new home in the NFL and has cleared waivers, making him a free agent.

Shocking, right?

Hernandez is currently engulfed in a legal battle where he stands accused of first-degree murder and multiple gun charges. He also has alleged links to a double-murder that took place way back in 2012.

The Patriots were content to dump Hernandez given the severity of his circumstances even though it would cost the team around $7 million (money in which the organization is attempting to get back).

So it’s no surprise Hernandez cleared waivers.

Further steering NFL teams away from taking a risk on Hernandez, whether it be through free agency or waivers, is the fact NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to oversee any potential contracts himself (per NFL.com’s Chris Wessling):

NFL teams were told Thursday that any future contract agreement reached by Hernandez prior to the resolution of all six charges would not be approved until Commissioner Roger Goodell holds a hearing on the matter, a source told Rapoport.

In the unlikely scenario that a team decided to take a chance on Hernandez while the criminal proceedings continued, Goodell still could overrule the contract agreement and might or might not impose a suspension on Hernandez.

Goodell will likely wait to punish Hernandez once the law has run its course. He’s in the right to oversee any and all contracts and contact teams may have with the embattled tight end.

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