Quote:It's established precedent that the NFL will suspend players based on allegations alone (see Ben Roethlisberger). What's never been tested, and surely will be in this case, is whether the NFL can impose an actual suspension without pay after a guy spends time doing a de facto suspension with pay on the commissioner-exempt list.

 

My sense is that the NFLPA won't fight an actual suspension too hard--the worst-case endgame for them is that the NFL is barred from suspensions after time on the exempt list, so the league turns around and just hands out suspensions without pay as soon as a guy is arrested. That would be very tough to spin to the players as a win. I think the more likely scenario is that the NFL and NFLPA negotiate a maximum length that the actual suspension can be for a guy coming off the exempt list.

 

The NFLPA won't fight the suspension re the Exempt List because they can't - it was mutually agreed to by both sides. It's separate and apart from what the discipline will be for Hardy. It was used as kind of a holding place pending final adjudication. He was paid so he has no real argument.

 

The only argument left will be re Goodell's discipline for a prior offense (i.e., before this new personal conduct policy) exceeding what was the norm under the old policy, which I believe was usually two games.

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