Greg Hardy Dallas Cowboys
Greg Hardy is in his sixth NFL season. Getty

The Greg Hardy experiment hasn’t exactly gone as planned for Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys. The team is 0-4 with the defensive end in the lineup, essentially falling out of playoff contention as the most hated man in the NFL continues to make headlines.

The signing of Hardy in March wasn’t a popular one. The former Carolina Panther had his domestic violence case dismissed just a month earlier after reportedly reaching a civil settlement with his accuser, an ex-girlfriend whom Hardy allegedly beat and threatened to kill. Hardy’s continued to handle himself poorly during his time with Dallas, up until the photos of the incident with his ex-girlfriend were released on Friday.

It was widely reported what Hardy had allegedly done, but the pictures sparked even more public outrage. But despite calls for Hardy to be suspended or cut, he remains with "America's Team."

Hardy played just one game last season before being put on the Exempt/Commissioner's Permission List, staying off the field as he faced a jury trial for assault, having already been found guilty by a judge. He was officially suspended for the first 10 games of the 2015 season, but that was reduced to four games after an appeal.

ESPN.com’s Ed Werder reported that the NFL had access to the photos in April, so Hardy hasn't been in jeopardy of facing a new suspension. While Jones says the Cowboys didn’t see the pictures before they became public, the team had been “aware of the serious nature of this incident,” indicating that they would not take any action regarding Hardy.

In his four games with the team, Hardy has been one of the few bright spots for the Cowboys on the field. He’s recorded four sacks, one interception and forced one fumble.

Hardy was also effective when he and the Cowboys faced the Philadelphia Eagles just two days after the photos surfaced, but a few of his opponents noticed a difference in his play.

"I felt like I faced better than him," Eagles tackle Lane Johnson said, via philly.com. "He's a guy who, when things are going good, he's great. When things aren't going good, he'll shut it down.

"Anytime I got a chance to put a little extra mustard on a block, I tried. He wasn't all that emotional in the game. I don't know if the stuff got to him on the news, but he seemed out of it a little bit."

Before the pictures were released last week, Hardy hadn’t publicly expressed regret for the incident that has now made him notorious. He showed some remorse on Twitter on Saturday night.

With eight games still on Dallas’ schedule, it appears that Hardy will finish out his one-year deal, which could be worth up to $13.1 million. Jones continues to publicly support Hardy, having called him a “leader” earlier this year.

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