9:48pm: Gregory has made the move to file for reinstatement, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. The league has 60 days to approve or deny the application.
9:30pm: The new CBA significantly loosened constraints for non-PED substance abuse, and at least one player who ran afoul of the previous CBA’s off-field guidelines may be set for a return to action.
The Cowboys are expecting Randy Gregory to be reinstated and be back with the team next season, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports. A former second-round pick remains suspended indefinitely. Gregory missed the entire 2017 and ’19 seasons because of substance-abuse suspensions; he registered six sacks in 2018. The 27-year-old defensive end said recently he wants to play next season.
Gregory plans to apply for reinstatement soon, and Moore notes the Cowboys are willing to give him another chance. His Cowboys contract runs through the 2020 season. Gregory was set to apply for reinstatement last summer, but Moore indicates a slip-up in his aftercare program helped put those plans on hold.
This CBA will only produce marijuana-based suspensions in extreme cases (and only when players fail to cooperate with treatment) and, while DUIs will be dealt with in a stricter manner than they once were, other substance-abuse restrictions have been loosened. This leaves Gregory and others in limbo, but the Cowboys are optimistic on this front. This will, however, be an interesting challenge for Roger Goodell. Gregory has been suspended four times since coming into the league.
The Cowboys, however, are not planning on having David Irving back. The NFL suspended Irving indefinitely because of substance abuse, doing so just before the defensive lineman was to enter free agency last year. While the Cowboys retain his rights, Moore adds they have moved on.
The only comment that applies is the Hand to Face emoji.
Welcome back Randy Gregory. It’s an idiotic NFL policy to be suspending players for use of what is a legal drug in many states. Suspend a player, give him nothing but free time, and expect him to not drink or smoke. Yeah, bored people never eat, drink, or smoke to pass the time. The guy has never gotten into any real trouble.
That said, Gregory has a ton of athleticism. The Cowboys need a Plan B, but he’s a good Plan A at RDE.
Slow clap. Nice.
The problem is marijuana is still illegal in the state of Texas. So if he gets in trouble with police for it, I’d imagine the NFL will step in and punish Gregory, and anyone else for violating the personal conduct policy.
Let me pack a bowl whilst I contemplate the magnitude of the situation.
Sign and trade him to a team in one of the 17 states?
Suspend only in extreme cases…isn’t 4 suspensions and missing two entire seasons pretty extreme, already. I guess we will see how it goes.
I would say this is the opposite of extreme. He hasn’t committed a DUI. He hasn’t been arrested for anything, ever (as far as I know), not even a misdemeanor. He’s not hurt anyone physically. If he had chosen to drink several beers, instead of smoking some weed, the NFL would approve. And his well-being is about the same in both circumstances.
Gregory has been WAY OVER PUNISHED. He’s been suspended for dozens of games while women and child beaters like Lamar Hunt and Tyreek Hill are back after the briefest of suspensions. The NFL has acted disgracefully in its administration of punishment.
he’s been suspened dozens of games because he’s a repeat offender. that’s how punishments work, the more frequently you offend the more you get punished.
You completely miss the point.
He’s been suspended 4 times due to substance abuse issues
Sounds a lot more series that missing football games and it seems like he’s taking it one day at time do get his life back in order so he doesn’t have a setback. Read between the lines of what “punishment” is
Bringing up Kareem Hunt or Tyreek Hill is something else
Cowpatties love trash.
He’s been doing mma in his hiatus. He might of advanced his chances on a long term brain injury by getting knocked around without a helmet.