The Carolina Panthers deactivated defensive end Greg Hardy, found guilty of domestic violence in July, ahead of Sunday's National Football League home opener against Detroit as assault concerns grow league-wide.
Hardy played last week for Carolina despite a judge convicting him two months ago for assaulting his former girlfriend and threatening to kill her.
Hardy has appealed the ruling to a full jury trial that is set to start in November and has been playing as a result while the team and league let the legal system take its course.
NFL critics had pointed to Hardy playing as an example of how the league has ignored domestic assault issues during a week in which such issues have nagged star running backs Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson and tarnished the image of the world's richest sports league.
TMZ released video last Monday of Rice knocking out his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City casino elevator in February, leading to Rice's firing by the Baltimore Ravens and indefinite suspension by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Goodell came under fire and many have called for his firing or resignation in the wake of the handling of the Rice situation, which had only drawn a two-month ban from the NFL boss, who last month admitted that was too soft a penalty and toughened NFL punishments for domestic violence to six games for first offenders and potential life bans for repeat offenders.
Just three days after Goodell's action, San Francisco defensive end Ray McDonald was arrested and charged with assaulting his pregnant girlfriend.
Peterson, who was deactivated by the Vikings when charged on Friday with reckless causing an injury to a child, surrendered himself to Texas authorities early on Saturday morning and was released on bail.
The charges stem from Peterson allegedly beating his son with a switch from a tree so harshly that cuts and scars remained days later.
Both Peterson and Hardy are paid even though they were deactivated for the game-day lineup.
According to a police report, Hardy assaulted ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder last May.
Holder said Hardy choked her with both hands around her throat and tossed her onto a couch covered with assault rifles and shotguns, saying Hardy told her all the weapons were loaded.
The Panthers made Hardy a "franchise" player this season, ensuring he would remain with the team as one of the best-paid players in the league at his position, which means Carolina will pay him $US13.1 million ($A14.2 million) this season.
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