NFL To Decide Randy Gregory’s Fate Soon

The NFL will make a decision on whether to suspend Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory within the next seven to 10 days, reports Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. That means Dallas, the NFC’s top seed, will know Gregory’s fate before its Jan. 15 divisional round matchup.

Randy Gregory

Gregory had a Tuesday appeal hearing with the league stemming from a November failed drug test that could trigger a one-year ban. If it does, it would be the third suspension in Gregory’s two-year career. The 2015 second-round pick from Nebraska missed 14 games this season because of his first two suspensions, and it appeared he wouldn’t play at all after his latest failed test. Gregory elected to challenge the ruling, though, which allowed him to return to the field in Week 16. In the only two games he played during the regular season, Gregory racked up nine tackles and his first career sack.

If the league does bar Gregory from participating for the next year, it seems unlikely to affect his status with the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones hasn’t shown any willingness to give up on Gregory, whose substance abuse issues date back to his time as a college star. Those problems led Gregory to fall to the draft’s 60th pick, where the Cowboys took a gamble on his upside. Gregory’s on-field impact has been minimal thus far, however, and the Cowboys managed a 13-3 record in 2016 without any significant contributions from the 24-year-old.

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