Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was excused from practice Wednesday to attend a meeting with his attorney. Coach Ron Rivera said Hardy was given the excused absence for a personal issue. He said it was not tied to any potential discipline from the NFL for Hardys domestic violence case. Hardys attorney, Chris Fialko, said he had a meeting with his client but did not elaborate. Hardy was found guilty on July 15 of assaulting and threatening his ex-girlfriend in May. He has appealed the verdict with a court date set for Nov. 17, although Fialko said the case likely wont be heard until sometime in 2015, after the season ends. Neither the league nor the Panthers have disciplined Hardy. The league announced a new disciplinary policy last month for domestic violence that includes a six-game suspension for a first-time offender. An NFL spokesman told ESPN that Hardys case remains under review, but reiterated it has not been resolved by the court. Rivera said Hardy would play in Sundays home opener against Detroit if he returned to practice on Thursday as expected and was prepared for the game plan. Hardys case has drawn heightened attention with Mondays release of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice after video of him punching out then-fianceé Janay Palmer in an Atlantic City, N.J., casino elevator in February. Theres a lot of things going on, Rivera said. I get that. I understand that. But at the same time were going to continue about the business. Its a very tragic situation thats going on [with Rice]. And were going from there. I have a tremendous amount of empathy and respect for the people who are in this situation. Its very difficult. But Im going to only talk about football from this point on. Just understand that. OK? Rivera later said he was not skirting the issue or hiding it from his team. He said he has addressed what is happening around the league off the field as he always does. Im trying not to bury it. Im trying not to hide from it as far as dealing with the players, Rivera said. Im trying to make sure they understand the serious nature of whats happening. But at the same time we do have a job we have to do as well. Asked if he believed the team made the right decision in not disciplining Hardy when he initially was found guilty, in light of what happened with Rice, Rivera said, Were going through the process. While were in the process, were not going to comment about the situation. Hardy led the team in sacks last season with 15 and had one in Sundays season-opening 20-14 victory at Tampa Bay. The Panthers gave him the franchise tag for this season, guaranteeing him $13.1 million. If the appeal isnt heard until after the season, as expected, the Panthers are in a position where they would never have to discipline Hardy if he is found guilty again because the team could simply choose not to re-sign him.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 22:30:28 +0000
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