Greg Hardy to seek reinstatement following Adrian Peterson decision, per report

Greg Hardy will seek immediate reinstatement from the NFL after a judge overturned Adrian Peterson's indefinite suspension Thursday, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. Hardy is currently sitting on the commissioner's permission/exempt list after being convicted on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in July 2014.

Hardy appealed and had his case dismissed earlier this February. He was never technically under suspension -- the exempt list amounts to a paid leave of absence -- but he may still face punishment by the NFL for the 2015 season. Hardy is currently the subject of an independent investigation by the league into whether he violated the league's personal conduct policy.

If found guilty, the question becomes whether Hardy will be subject to the guidelines of the old personal conduct policy, or the new policy that was enacted in December in response to a rash of high profile cases of domestic violence. Judge David Doty ruled Thursday that the NFL overstepped its boundaries by punishing Peterson under the new guidelines for a violation committed when the old policy was in place. If Hardy's appeal receives a similar decision, he would face a two-game suspension rather than the new policy's automatic six-game suspension for first-time offenders.

Hardy will become an unrestricted free agent in March. If given a two-game suspension, he should have a much easier time getting signed this offseason than if forced to sit six games.

Hardy was arrested last May for assaulting his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her. He was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge two months later. Details from the incident allegedly involved Hardy throwing his ex-girlfriend on a bed covered with guns and threatening her life. The case was dismissed after she failed to appear in court. She and Hardy reportedly finalized a settlement afterward.