The good news continues to roll down the wire for Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory. Last week, the 27-year-old pass rusher was conditionally reinstated by the NFL for the 2020 season and now, according to ESPN's Todd Archer, Gregory has agreed to a one-year contract extension that will keep him in Dallas through the 2021 season. Gregory, who was signed through this season with a base salary of $825,000, will get $200,000 as a signing bonus under this extension and can earn up to $2.1 million in 2021, per Archer.
As CBS Sports Cowboys Insider Patrik Walker relays, the Cowboys attempted to sign Gregory to an extension previously, but the league vetoed that move due to his suspension. Now that he received the all-clear by the league, the seas opened up for this deal to get done. And now he can really focus on getting back to his football career. That return to the field, however, is still a bit down the road as Gregory will reportedly need to go through an acclimation period that will prevent him from formally practicing until Oct. 5. The earliest he'll be able to see game action will be in Week 7 against the Washington Football Team.
The road through the NFL has been a long and tumultuous one for Gregory, who has since been diagnosed with bipolar depression and clinical anxiety and self medicates with marijuana, upon the Cowboys selecting him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Nebraska. He's had numerous run-ins with the league office due to failed drug tests -- the most recent coming back in January of 2019 when he was banned indefinitely. Prior to that suspension, Gregory did enjoy the best statistical season of his pro career, playing in 14 games for Dallas while totaling six sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles.
With the go-ahead from the league, Gregory will now join a 2020 Cowboys pass-rushing unit that consists of DeMarcus Lawrence, Dontari Poe, Everson Griffen and Aldon Smith. That's quite the squad at head coach Mike McCarthy's disposal and, for Gregory, it's a chance to join an elite group and get his career back on a more positive direction. This extension now gives him even more running room to blossom in Dallas.
