Cowboys’ Greg Hardy issues statement, accepts four-game suspension

Greg Hardy isn’t going to fight his four-game suspension in court.

The Dallas Cowboys’ controversial defensive end issued a statement, saying he would accept his four-game suspension. That means he will not make his Cowboys debut until Week 5 against the Patriots at AT&T Stadium.

“While I am terribly disappointed to miss the first four games of this season, I am absolutely determined that my issue is not going to be a distraction for the Cowboys,” the statement read. “I have enormous affection and respect for everyone here, and having seen the impact a court case can have on an NFL organization, I believe it is in the team’s best interest for me to announce that I will not pursue any further litigation.

“Everything I do from this point on will be designed to bring glory and pride to my family, their family and this team.”

Hardy, his representatives and the NFL players’ association had contemplated fighting the suspension in court after Patriots quarterback Tom Brady successfully got his suspension overturned earlier this month. But, ultimately, they felt a four-game suspension was just.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell initially handed Hardy a 10-game suspension for a May 2014 domestic violence incident, and that had been reduced to four games by arbitrator Harold Henderson. Taking the suspension to court was Hardy’s last chance of getting on the field sooner.

The four-game suspension will cost Hardy about $2.2 million in salary. The Cowboys signed him to a one-year deal worth as much as $13.2 million, but $9.5 million is tied to him being on the 53-man roster. So each game week he is on the roster equates to about $558,000.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 7:29 PM with the headline "Cowboys’ Greg Hardy issues statement, accepts four-game suspension."