The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided to part ways with edge rusher Randy Gregory as he failed to report to training camp. Head coach Todd Bowles revealed on Sunday that the team had to release Gregory after placing him on the reserve/did not report list back on July 23 for his absence at camp. Bowles mentioned that he never received an explanation for Gregory’s absence, stating, “I wish him the best. We’ll move on from there. You can’t miss what you never had.”
Gregory, 31 years old, who previously played for the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and San Francisco 49ers, signed a one-year, $3 million contract in free agency with the Buccaneers. Despite this agreement, he did not take part in the team’s voluntary offseason program or attend the mandatory minicamp this past summer.
Earlier in June, Gregory filed a lawsuit against both the NFL and the Broncos, alleging discrimination after being fined $532,500 for using medication containing THC to treat disabilities during his brief stint in Denver. The complaint stated that Gregory was prescribed Dronabinol for social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders but was denied permission to use the medication to address his disabilities.
The NFL no longer penalizes players who test positive for THC, but it remains a prohibited substance within the league. Players who violate this rule are subject to fines. Gregory’s lawsuit claims that he has incurred fines amounting to $532,500 due to multiple positive THC tests since March 2023, arguing that the league and the club’s refusal to accommodate him based on his disabilities is discriminatory under Colorado law.
Having been drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 2015, Gregory has played in 72 games across seven NFL seasons. He has recorded 22 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, and 69 quarterback hits throughout his career. Gregory’s time with Dallas was marred by multiple suspensions for violating the league’s drug policies, and he experienced a knee injury during his tenure with the Broncos in 2022, missing a significant portion of that season before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
The Broncos are mentioned in the lawsuit despite not being directly involved in player fines related to drug policy violations, as these matters are overseen by a jointly appointed third-party medical professional through the collectively bargained NFL and NFLPA substances of abuse policy.