Report: Cowboys did not see Greg Hardy victim photos, but knew of content

By foxsports
Published

The Dallas Cowboys were not permitted to see the photos of the injuries inflicted on Nicole Holder by Greg Hardy before signing him, but sources say they were aware of the photos and what they depicted.

The Cowboys have refused to comment thus far on the Deadspin story containing the photos of a badly beaten Holder, but one of the first questions asked was whether the team had seen the photos prior to signing Hardy. The answer, it seems, is no.

According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the photos were released only to the NFL, NFLPA and attorneys in order to properly discipline Hardy under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.

While the Cowboys were not allowed to see the photos, other sources told The Dallas Morning News that the organization was “aware of the photos and had an understanding of what they showed.”

This doesn’t make things any better from the Cowboys' perspective.

The fact is, the details surrounding what Hardy did were out in the open long before the Cowboys picked him up, and the details published Friday by Deadspin are consistent with both the statement Holder gave police in May of 2014 as well as the testimony given by Holder in the original trial in which Hardy was found guilty of assault and communicating threats.

This information was out there for the Cowboys, and they were likely well aware of it, but they signed Hardy anyway and have repeatedly defended his poor behavior since. 

On Friday night, the Cowboys issued this statement from owner Jerry Jones:

“While we did not have access to the photos that became public today, 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.” 

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