Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings criticizes Cowboys for signing Greg Hardy

Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings criticized the Cowboys for signing Greg Hardy despite being found guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence last July. On Wednesday, the Cowboys signed Hardy to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $13.1 million with incentives.

Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings criticized the Cowboys for signing Greg Hardy despite being found guilty of misdemeanor domestic violence last July, Sarah Mervosh of The Dallas Morning Newsreports.

On Wednesday, the Cowboys signed Hardy to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $13.1 million with incentives. He played just one game last season and is still on the commissioner’s exempt list.

After appealing his conviction, Hardy was set to stand trial in February, but the charges were dropped when the accuser couldn’t be found by prosecutors. The accuser reportedly received a cash payout to drop the charges.

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Rawlings said he was disappointed that the Cowboys signed Hardy.

"I’m a big Cowboys fan. I love them to death and I want them to beat the Eagles every time they play," Rawlings said. "But at some point, being a sports fan gets trumped by being a father, husband, wanting to do what’s right for women, so this is not a good thing. I don’t think I’m going to be buying Hardy jerseys any time soon."

Dallas sports anchor Dale Hansen previously called out the Cowboys for signing Hardy, saying the team "can’t possibly sink any lower ... they can’t fall from grace any more than they have."

Hardy, 26, was a Pro Bowl selection in 2013 and had 26.0 sacks combined during his last two full seasons.

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- Paul Palladino