Getty Randy Gregory
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory announced on social media Friday that he has been conditionally reinstated from suspension by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
“Today is a day of celebration and thanks,” Gregory posted to Twitter. “I would like to thank Roger Goodell, Todd Jones and Kevin Manara of the NFL, Jerry and Stephen Jones, Jason Cohen, Will McClay, Todd Williams, and Josh Brent of the Cowboys, Dr. Dina Hijazi, DeMaurice Smith, my agent Peter Schaffer and most importantly my family for sticking by me thru thick and thin and to help me get to the positive place I am at today. It’s go time. I am in a good place and plan to use this second chance to be a great father, player, citizen of Dallas, and teammate. Let’s get this!!! #RG94”
The Cowboys’ 2015 second-round pick, Gregory was consistently punished by Goodell for ongoing drug infractions. He posted an out-of-nowhere six-sack 2018 campaign before once again running into trouble. In February 2019, he was suspended indefinitely for breaking the substance-abuse policy and the terms of his conditional reinstatement.
In April 2019, the Cowboys extended Gregory’s contract through the 2020 campaign. This past February, Gregory officially filed for his return to the sport, “hopeful” of suiting up this season. The team tentatively expected Goodell to reinstate Gregory once more, as the league’s revised Collective Bargaining Agreement relaxed punishment on marijuana-related offenses, no longer suspending for positive tests.
Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones expressed optimism Friday, hours before the Gregory news came down, that the star-crossed pass-rusher would see the field again.
“I know every detail about Randy and the league. I’m not at liberty to talk about those details, but I work on it probably every other day. And so the answer is that is evolving and I’m positive about it,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan.
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Gregory’s Acclimation Plan
It’s going to take some time for Gregory’s cleats to actually hit the gridiron. Because his reinstatement occurred days before the Sept. 13 regular-season opener, and it’s anything but a normal NFL year, he’ll be required to sit out a handful of games.
Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News obtained Gregory’s short-term timeline, which begins with COVID-19 testing on Sept. 7. He must wait three days prior to entering the Cowboys’ facility to start meetings, workouts and conditioning exercises. The earliest he’s eligible to practice is Oct. 7. The earliest he can play is Oct. 25 at Washington.
Dates to circle on your Randy Gregorian calendar:
Sept. 7 – COVID-19 testing begins.
Sept. 10 – Earliest he can enter The Star. Meetings, workouts and individual drills. Back with Cowboys teammates.
Oct. 7 – Earliest practice
Oct. 25 – Earliest game. At Washington.
Defensive Fit
It’s almost comical at this point just how stacked the Cowboys are along their defensive line, even after losing Gerald McCoy to a season-ending injury. When he completes the aforementioned process, Gregory will slide in as a third-down specialist for new, blitz-happy coordinator Mike Nolan.
He joins a group that includes DeMarcus Lawrence, Everson Griffen, Tyrone Crawford, and Aldon Smith, who also scored NFL reinstatement this offseason. Lawrence and Smith enjoyed fantastic training camps, regularly beating Dallas’ vaunted tackles — sometimes quite badly. It bears repeating: the Cowboys are absolutely loaded here.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL