Dallas Cowboys

Report: Greg Hardy may appeal his four-game suspension

Published Sep. 3, 2015 12:35 p.m. ET

foxsports

Judge Richard Berman’s ruling eliminated New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension on Thursday. Now, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy is readily exploring his options.

According to ESPN’s Ed Werder, Hardy -- who was suspended four games for his role in a domestic violence incident -- will discuss with the players' union about whether to appeal his case in federal court.

The league initially suspended Hardy for 10 games before reducing the penalty to four, but the former Carolina Panthers standout had the option to appeal in federal court.

However, the ruling in Brady’s case -- which had no precedent -- cannot be directly compared to Hardy’s situation, since he’s dealing with a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

If Hardy elects to pursue an appeal, the suspension would be temporarily delayed. With that being said, due to the precedent in domestic violence cases, it’s highly unlikely a judge would eliminate Hardy’s suspension.

His other choice is to accept the four-game suspension and return in Week 5, when the Cowboys take on Brady and the Patriots.

Dallas opens the 2015 season on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the New York Giants, and Hardy’s eventual decision may determine whether the 2013 Pro Bowler makes his Cowboys debut that night.

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