Greg Hardy Deactivated by Carolina Panthers for Week 2

Updates from Wednesday, Sept. 17

Bleacher Report's Jason Cole has an update on Hardy's potential punishment:

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Ed Werder reports on what could be next for Hardy:

NBC Sports' Mike Florio discussed potential punishment from the league:

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As the Panthers struggle with the question of whether to let defensive end Greg Hardy play in the wake of a judge’s finding that he committed domestic violence, the Panthers may soon be off the hook.

Per a league source, the NFL could soon be intervening in the Hardy case, suspending Hardy without pay for violating the personal-conduct policy.

Previously, the NFL had decided not to penalize Hardy because Hardy’s legal case has not been resolved. He still hasn’t had a trial before a jury; his trial before a judge was under North Carolina criminal procedure was so preliminary and cursory that a transcript isn’t prepared unless the defendant chooses to hire a court reporter. (In this case, Hardy did.)

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ESPN's Ed Werder added more:

Original Text

The Carolina Panthers have decided to reverse course on defensive end Greg Hardy and deactivate him ahead of the team's Week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.   

The team's official Twitter account shared the news:

Ed Werder of ESPN has more:

Albert Breer of NFL Network followed with who was behind the decision:

Following Carolina's victory over the Lions, Ron Rivera spoke about the decision (via David Newton of ESPN and Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer):

Rivera also spoke about Hardy and his potential return to the team (via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer):

Newton also spoke to Cam Newton and other Panthers players about Hardy's situation and how they view their teammate:

In July, Hardy was convicted of assault on a female following a domestic dispute, but he is appealing the case before a jury in November. Initially, both the Panthers and NFL were awaiting the outcome of that appeal before making their own decision regarding any potential punishment for the player. 

However, perhaps due to public outcry surrounding the Ray Rice incident and the running back's release from the Baltimore Ravens and indefinite suspension from the league—and following the precedent set by the Minnesota Vikings, who deactivated Adrian Peterson after he was indicted on charges of "reckless or negligent injury to a child"—the Panthers decided to keep Hardy off the field for Week 2.

Without question, the Panthers were coming under serious scrutiny over the Hardy matter, to the point that the team's owner, Jerry Richardson, became openly emotional when discussing it earlier in the week.

During his acceptance speech at a gala where he was honored with the Echo Award Against Indifference, Richardson had this to say, per David Newton of ESPN.com:

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Standing before you tonight, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge an issue weighing heavily on our sport and our society. When it comes to domestic violence, my stance is not one of indifference. I stand firmly against domestic violence, plain and simple.

To those who would suggest that we've been too slow to act, I ask that you consider not to be too quick to judge. Over the course of our 20 years, we have worked extremely hard to build an organization of integrity ... I will work hard to continue to earn your trust.

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Richardson had difficulty getting through the speech, breaking down into tears.

While many believe the Panthers made the appropriate decision, more than a few folks will feel it should have come sooner, such as Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated:

It's hard to imagine anything beyond public perception led to this outcome, as the Panthers didn't previously seem inclined to bench one of their starters until the appeals process played out.

At this point, however, one would surmise Hardy will remain sidelined for the foreseeable future.