Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys' next move with Hardy ... a contract extension?

Published Oct. 27, 2015 3:39 a.m. ET

foxsports

When Cowboys coach Jason Garrett spoke with the media on Monday about defensive end Greg Hardy’s confrontation with a coach, verbal altercation with a teammate, and refusal to answer postgame questions -- all during and directly after a loss to the divisional rival Giants -- he made more news for what he didn’t do than what he did.

"It was not a big deal from anybody inside our football team and inside this building," Garrett told reporters gathered in Irving, Texas, in explaining that Hardy would not be disciplined for his actions Sunday.

Well, you should see what club executive vice president Stephen Jones reportedly wants to do to Hardy.

Suspend him? Nope. Fine him? Nah. Sign him to a contract extension?

According to the Dallas Morning News, while speaking on a Dallas radio show on Monday, the son of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team would “absolutely” like to do a long-term deal with the pending free agent, and added that the likelihood of such a deal is “very much a possibility.”

After Dwayne Harris returned a kickoff 100 yards for the winning points in the Giants' 27-20 victory Sunday, Hardy stepped into the special teams huddle, berated teammates and the coverage unit, then exchanged shoves with special teams Rich Bisaccia before New York kicked off with 7:01 remaining in the game.

In video shown Sunday night by NBC, Hardy could be seen swiping at Bisaccia's clipboard before the coach put both hands on Hardy's chest and tried to push him out of the huddle. At that point, other players pulled Hardy away.

Hardy also could be seen having an intense discussion with injured star receiver Dez Bryant after he was pulled away from the special teams huddle, then issued a half-dozen no comments to questions in the locker room after the game before turning his back to the media.

Jones was also asked if the club felt Hardy's attitude is an issue, and he offered up these comments to "the G-Bag Nation" show:

Hardy is in his first season with Dallas and missed the first four games while suspended under the NFL's personal conduct policy while with Carolina. Hardy played only one game for the Panthers in 2014 and spent the rest of the year on the commissioner's exempt list with full pay. He signed with the Cowboys as a free agent earlier this year.

Hardy was convicted last year of assault on a female and communicating threats in a case involving a former girlfriend. But the charges were dismissed in February after prosecutors said the accuser in the case couldn't be found.

He signed with Dallas in March and then was suspended for 10 games by the NFL for conduct detrimental to the league, a penalty that was later reduced to four games.

-- The Associated Press contributed to this report