Cowboys’ Jason Witten: Against domestic violence, but Greg Hardy is a teammate

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten maintains his anti-domestic violence stance, but also supports his teammate Greg Hardy.

Next: NFL and Domestic Violence: Nothing has changed

The Dallas Cowboys took a leap of faith on former Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Greg Hardy, who has a history of domestic violence, when the rest of the league was staying away.

That puts Cowboys fans and the organization in a precarious position, with a mixed message being sent. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten was asked about trying to juggle an anti-domestic violence stance and seemingly supporting it by supporting the player at the same time.

“I think more than anything I think everybody knows [I’m against] domestic violence,” Witten told Todd Archer of ESPN. “That’s unwavering. That’s something that I lived, my family lived. But that guy is a teammate of mine, so I think you have to look at it from that standpoint.

“As coach [Jason] Garrett says, it’s our job to invite those guys in and create a standard of how we do things. I think he’s done a great job since he’s been here. It’s not my job to decide who comes in. I’m a tight end. But I’ve been really pleased how he’s approached it and how he goes to work and what kind of teammate he’s been. The day he got suspended, the next day he’s in there working out, so I think that’s kind of the mentality he has, what kind of work ethic [he has] and what he’s trying to prove in Dallas.”

Apparently not every Cowboys player sees things the same way as Witten. Hardy got into an altercation with a teammate who called him a wife beater, referencing his domestic violence past.

Hardy hasn’t shown that his judgment has improved, making an ill-advised tweet about the twin towers.

I don’t know how Witten was supposed to address this topic, what can he really say? He didn’t voluntarily put himself in the position.

“I think when you add the guy like that and then he gets suspended and you never know how it’s going to come out,” Witten said. “The guy works his tail off. Our job is to welcome him and show him the way we do things and embrace him as a teammate, and he’s done everything that you want. He’s a hard worker. Obviously he’s a talented player. I think he’s learned a lot from what he’s gone through in the last year. He’s had a good offseason.”

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten maintains his anti-domestic violence stance, but also supports his teammate Greg Hardy.

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