Carolina Panthers are done with Greg Hardy

Greg Hardy may not be a member of the Carolina Panthers next year.

After sitting for much of the 2014 NFL season, this offseason has been an interesting one for not only Greg Hardy, but for the Carolina Panthers as well. Perhaps the biggest decision the Panthers have to make this offseason is whether or not they should keep Hardy. When he’s on the field, Hardy is an absolute freak and he is undoubtedly one of the best pass rushers in the league. However, a domestic violence assault put him on the exempt list and Hardy’s status on whether the Panthers will re-sign him is up in the air.

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As of now, it’s yet to be seen if Hardy will be suspended or not. Obviously, if he does receive a suspension, his chances of getting signed by the Panthers plummet, but if stays clear of a suspension, he will likely be primed for a one-year prove-it type of contract this offseason. Remember, Hardy basically sat out a year and although people look past that, it should be said that sitting out a year is a huge deal and it plays a part when discussing the contract.

Free agency starts on March 10 and the market for Hardy is yet to be clear, but it seems that one team is out of the running for him. According to Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review, the Panthers are done with Hardy. Now if that is the case, the Panthers would be without their best pass rusher again. By not bringing him back, the Panthers would also be rewarded with a real nice compensatory pick.

If it weren’t for the domestic violence issue, Hardy could very well break the bank this offseason in free agency. He’s only 26 and he has already developed into one of the best pass rushers in the league. It should also be said that instead of signing Hardy long-term before last season, they opted to use the franchise tag on him. This situation will be something to monitor going forward.

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