Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones might not be ready to close the door on bringing back free agent defensive end Greg Hardy.
But Cowboys coach Jason Garrett doesn’t sound like a man looking to extend the relationship.
Asked Wednesday afternoon about Hardy’s status, Garrett replied: “Greg Hardy’s a free agent.”
That’s all.
It’s one thing for the organization to take chances on players such as Hardy, who had 6.0 sacks in 12 games but just 1.5 from Thanksgiving to the end of the season. But Garrett was the one out front explaining away all the small distractions Hardy created for himself throughout the year, in addition to the big one he walked in with.
So a little frost from the head coach is probably understandable, and likely a sign of the team’s ultimate direction with a player who was more trouble than he was worth last year.