The NFL dropped the hammer on Greg Hardy.

After dealing with the Ray Rice domestic violence incident with controversy last year, the league came down hard on Hardy on Wednesday, suspending the Dallas Cowboys defensive end 10 games without pay for the 2015 season after determining that he brutalized his girlfriend.

According to multiple reports, the league reached its decision after determining that Hardy attacked his ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder four times in a nasty May 2014 domestic-violence incident. The NFL concluded that he physically forced her into a bathtub, threw her on a futon covered with guns, pushed her against a wall, and grabbed her neck, leaving marks.

His then-team the Carolina Panthers deactivated Hardy in September for the remainder of the 2014 season upon learning of the alleged assault. Even though charges were dropped, as Holder refused to cooperate with the court, the public perception of Hardy took a nosedive. Still, the Cowboys took a chance and signed him last month.

The one-year deal that Hardy agreed to with the Cowboys, however, doesn't include any guaranteed money and it was structured for him to essentially get paid only if he plays. 

BET Sports News - Get the latest news and information about African-Americans in sports including weekly recaps, celebrity news and photos of your favorite Black athletes. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 

(Photo: AP Photo/Chris Keane, File)