Despite the dismissal of domestic abuse charges following a reported settlement, the Carolina Panthers do not plan to re-sign defensive end Greg Hardy.
After his domestic violence case was dismissed earlier this month, a number of Hardy’s teammates went to bat for him, asking owner Jerry Richardson to give him another chance. According to multiple league sources, some momentum did build for a Hardy return in the days after his legal situation was cleared up. But, sources say, that slim possibility quickly cooled and eventually ended last week.
With Hardy facing a possible suspension from the NFL, and with Richardson’s difficulty in getting past the situation Hardy put himself and the Panthers in, the team will watch him go elsewhere in 2015.
Of course, none of this will be solidified until the start of free agency March 10th, but if the Panthers do move on, they will need to find a formidable replacement for Hardy. The entire success of the Panthers’ defense hinges on the line being able to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With offensive line’s deficiencies and Hardy’s departure both needing to be addressed, Carolina GM Dave Gettleman has a lot of work cut out for him this summer.