As expected, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially released outside linebacker Randy Gregory on Thursday after he failed to show up for training camp.
The Bucs placed Gregory on the reserve/did not report list on July 23 when veteran players were required to arrive at training camp.
Gregory, 31, missed both preseason games this month, and he was absent from voluntary offseason workouts and the three-day mandatory minicamp — the latter an unexcused absence. He reportedly has been fined more than $1 million.
Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said this weekend that he has not gotten a reason why Gregory did not report and said, “You can’t miss what you didn’t have.”
The Bucs signed Gregory as a free agent on April 3 to a one-year, $3 million contract with an additional $2 million possible with incentives.
Gregory filed a lawsuit in June against the NFL and the Denver Broncos, claiming discrimination in violation of Colorado law for his right to disability accommodations. According to the lawsuit filed in Colorado, Gregory has been fined more than $530,000 since March 2023 for use of synthetic cannabis, banned by the league. Gregory said in the complaint that taking prescriptions involving THC is necessary in his treatment for social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
He started three of four games last season for the Broncos and had nine tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits before his Oct. 6 trade to San Francisco.
Gregory appeared in 12 regular-season games and three playoff games as the 49ers advanced to the Super Bowl LVIII, which they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. He had 2.5 sacks and eight QB hits.
The Dallas Cowboys selected Gregory in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Nebraska.
For Dallas (2015-21), Denver (2022-23) and San Francisco, Gregory totaled 117 tackles, 22 sacks, 69 QB hits, 10 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception in a career marred by injuries and league suspensions, including all of the 2017 and 2019 seasons.
–Field Level Media