Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has said he wouldn’t want Greg Hardy as a team-mate after photos emerged of the domestic violence incident involving the Dallas Cowboys star and his ex-girlfriend.
“I’m a father of three daughters so any man that beats a woman, I think that’s hard for me to swallow but the Cowboys did make their choice [to sign Hardy],” Bennett said told the NFL Network on Sunday. “[The Cowboys] have had a bunch of players before that had a couple things. As a team-mate, I’m not sure I would want him in the locker room, especially as a distraction when you’re already losing. It’s one of those things that would have to be up to the organization.”
Charges against Hardy were dropped when his ex-girlfriend stopped co-operating with the police.
Tthe Cowboys did not have access to the photos before they signed Hardy but Bennett said the player should keep his team-mates of his situation to build trust. “If you’re going through something that’s in the media, you have to have a player’s meeting and tell your teammates ‘this is what really happened,’” Bennett said. “Unless you know the truth, everybody is going to have speculations and I think for him, he has to talk to his teammates and let them know what really happened.”
On Saturday, Hardy expresses regret over the incident while not commenting on his guilt or innocence.
Just had to say I express my regret 4 what happened in past and I'm Dedicated to being the best person & teammate that I can be
— Kraken&theNightmares (@OverlordKraken) November 8, 2015
The Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, said his team had decided to give Hardy “a second chance”. “While we did not have access to the photos that became public [on Friday], we were and are aware of the serious nature of this incident. We as an organization take this very seriously. We do not condone domestic violence. We entered into the agreement with Greg fully understanding that there would be scrutiny and criticism. We have given Greg a second chance. He is a member of our team and someone who is grateful for the opportunity he has been given to move forward with his life and his career.”
