IRVING, Texas – For the time being, the Cowboys seem to be just as in the dark as everyone else about Greg Hardy's pending appeal.
It's been almost a week since Hardy missed team OTA's to travel to Washington D.C. and make his case against the 10-game suspension the league handed him in April. Asked about any potential rulings, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said he's waiting just like everyone else.
"It's tough to speculate on these type of things. It's something that's not under our control," he said.
Hardy was suspended for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, as he was charged with assault against his then-girlfriend last summer, and then had those charges dropped in February. The Pro Bowl defensive end spent most of the 2014 season on the commissioner's exempt list, but this 10-game suspension is his first formal discipline – as Hardy still collected a $13 million paycheck during his absence last fall.
Jones and other Cowboys officials said when Hardy was suspended that it was to be expected, given the circumstances. While they'd undoubtedly prefer for the appeal to lessen the penalty, Jones reiterated Wednesday that he trusts in the process.
"We're going to appreciate the process, and we knew this was going to be part of it," he said. Whenever that comes down, we'll be ready to move forward."
The timeline for a ruling is typically two weeks, which means a decision likely won't come from arbitrator Harold Henderson until at least next week. Though Jones was quick to point out that there's no firm guideline for a decision.
"I think usually it's two weeks, is the time frame," he said. "I don't think that's a rule or anything. Sometimes it can be sooner."
Hardy missed Wednesdays OTA session for a completely unrelated reason, as he sat out with a stomach illness. But Jones said he expects Hardy will be back in action for the conclusion of the second week of spring practices on Thursday. The on-field reviews have all been fantastic to this point, but Jones said he knows it's about much more than that.
"We like everything we've seen on the field, but he has some accountability here to face at some point," he said. "We'll certainly be supportive of that, whatever the league and what things come down from a legal standpoint, we'll certainly be supportive of Greg as he moves forward. His goal is to be a great player on the field and a good person off the field, as well."
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