AUGUST 18: As Greg Auman of Fox Sports observes, the Bucs still need to reach a resolution on the fines that Gregory has accrued as a result of his absence. Auman notes that Gregory has racked up at least $902K in non-waivable fines — $50K per day for each day of missed training camp plus $102K for missing minicamp — and another ~$150K for missing Tampa Bay’s two preseason contests.
AUGUST 17: Randy Gregory remained absent from the Buccaneers during training camp, and his time with the team will now come to an end. The veteran defensive end has reached an agreement with the Bucs and will be released, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. 
Gregory’s absence has been shrouded in mystery, but Stroud’s report suggests an injury settlement has been reached. Such arrangements are commonplace during this time of year, as they allow for players to be let go while rehabbing ailments before being positioned to sign with a new team. Gregory will be a free agent once his release is official, though he will no doubt have a tepid market.
The 31-year-old had been on the reserve/did not report list since late July after also missing mandatory minicamp. The reason for doing to was unclear, but Gregory filed a suit against the Broncos and the NFL for being prevented from using a prescription medication containing THC earlier this offseason. Updates on his situation since then have been sparse.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said in the lead-in to training camp he had not been in communication with Gregory, who signed in April. The former Cowboy turned down a Dallas offer in 2022 and took one with identical terms to join the Broncos. His tenure in the Mile High City did not go according to plan, however, and after only 10 Broncos games he was traded to the 49ers in October.
Gregory posted 2.5 sacks in San Francisco, but his overall production while playing on a five-year, $69.5MM pact was underwhelming to say the least. He took a $3MM deal to head to Tampa Bay and serve a depth role in the team’s pass rush. Shaquil Barrett departed in free agency (and has since retired), creating a vacancy along the edge for the Bucs. After Gregory was absent from minicamp and training camp – accruing fines along the way – however, it seemed as though he would be released before the start of the season.
With that decision now having been made, the former second-rounder will (presumably) attempt to land with a team ahead of Week 1. Clarity on his situation over the past several months will no doubt be needed for any suitor to add him, though, so Gregory may spend an extended stretch on the free agent market for the second time in 2024.
And just like that, with a puff of smoke, he disappears…
How exactly do you release a guy who never showed up? Do you send him a text that says, Don’t bother? Do you put up some smoke signals? Do you send the sheriff to do a wellness check? Tell his agent? What if his agent is there with him getting high? So many questions, So few answers. SMH. Great Guggily Moogily
Perhaps the NFL should have a drone do an overwatch of Egypt to locate missing players.
He probably too blasted to even know he has been released.
This was his final chance.
Nancy Reagan would be so proud of you
It’s a bold move Cotton, let’s see if it pays off.
Wasted talent
The weed is calling…
Fire up the spliff.
What a F/ing loser
And yet he’s made a life that you can only dream about having
Wrong bozo.
POS
Can you release something that you never had?
Apparently you can. I know how they did it. They sent him Toke Signals.
Gregory has been a train wreck going as far back as his college days if not earlier… Sadly he’ll end up broke at some point in his life.
Most Stoners do. Except the ones who decide to legally grow it and sell it. But not many of those around.
What’s your definition of most? 90-95%?
How many stoners that have career earnings of $34,000,000 have gone broke?
I’d be willing to bet that Gregory has smoked, Lost or bungled away most or all of that by now.
Magoo is Gregory’s fluffer
You really love using “most” when you don’t have an ounce of evidence.
You made me wonder, so I looked it up, 15.7% of former NFL players have filed for bankruptcy within 12 years of retirement, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute. That’s not nearly as high as I expected.
Nice researching. Is there a minimum earned salary threshold mentioned? If practice squaders, players making league minimum, or guys that only play a year or two are included, it does make a lot of sense.
It does say the average career across the three major sports is only 4.6 years, so the player’s career is over at a relatively young age. There was examples like Vince Young, who earned around $26 million in his career & still went bankrupt. It’s usually a combination of a lavish lifestyle (mansion, cars, jewels), spoiling friends & family, trusting the wrong financial advisor, and bad investments. Even Dan Marino lost $14 million investing in a company called Digital Domain. Kurt Schilling lost $50 million on a video game company. If you want to Google it, the headline is How Athletes Go Bankrupt at an Alarming Rate.
Thanks for doing the work Dangard.
Safe to say that “most” did not go bankrupt because they smoke some weed.
“Was gonna report for camp … but then I got stoned then I got stoned then I got stoned …”
Bigger waste of talent over weed…Gregroy, Gordon, or Williams?
Gordon in my opinion. His second season, age 22, 1,600+ yards, 117 yards per game, 18.9 yards per reception. Like Randy Moss 2.0. And poof! Gone in a cloud of smoke.
I think it is 3 separate cases that are really hard to compare which is why I asked.
Gregory is kind of the never was, but should have been.
Gordon is the 1 year of brilliance and then disappeared.
Williams had 4 years missing from peak performance but still had 10000 yards rushing somehow career.
Got $1.3 million in guaranteed money from Tampa – and $900k in fines – thus he ended up $400k ahead. That buys a lot of weed.
Update – Another source says his fines are $1.3 million. Thus no joy in doobieville.
Don’t worry, he’ll be reinstated again….
Is anyone really surprised? This guy should have been banned from the league 10 years ago.