Greg Hardy, who is now with the Dallas Cowboys, will now only miss at least the first four games of the 2015 season. Hardy missed 15 games last season and was initially suspended for 10 games for a 2014 domestic violence incident.
Arbitrator Harold Henderson determined that Hardy’s conduct was detrimental to the league, but still reduced his suspension, reports NFL.com.
Hardy, who played for the Carolina Panthers before joining the Cowboys, only played in one game last season before he was put on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission List. Then in April, he was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2015 season.
Hardy was convicted of domestic violence against a former girlfriend last year in a bench trial, but the case was dismissed in February when the alleged victim didn’t cooperate. Still, the NFL decided that there was enough evidence to suspend Hardy.
The defensive end signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys in March. If he does accept the league’s punishment, he will have missed 19 regular season games by the time he comes back.