Veteran LB expected to retire following Bucs release

In the wake of his Buccaneers release officially taking place on Thursday, Randy Gregory‘s NFL career may well be over. The veteran edge rusher is expected to retire, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. 

Gregory joined the Bucs in April after his brief stint with the 49ers to close out the 2023 campaign. He was dealt to San Francisco following the end of his highly underwhelming Broncos tenure. A five-year, $69.5M Denver contract signed in 2022 only resulted in three sacks across 10 games played. The Tampa Bay deal represented an opportunity for a fresh start, but it did not work out.

The former second-rounder signed for $3M, and his Buccaneers pact included a $1.3M roster bonus. Since Gregory never reported to the team, though, Tampa Bay was in a position to collect that payment. The bonus has been paid back, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Between never keeping that money and the $50K in daily fines he accumulated, the Nebraska product’s financial situation was notably worsened during his (essentially) non-existent Tampa Bay tenure.

In June, it was learned Gregory filed a lawsuit against the Broncos and the NFL after being fined more than $500K for using a prescription medication containing THC. No developments on that front have taken place in recent months, but Thursday’s news points to Gregory’s ability to add to his career earnings coming to an end. The cause for his ongoing absence remains unknown.

Entering the NFL as a Cowboys second-rounder, Gregory’s most productive season came with Dallas in 2018 (six sacks). The early portion of his career was marred by suspensions, though, and four substance abuse bans left him sidelined for the 2017 and ’19 campaigns. A deal seemed to be in place to remain with the Cowboys in 2022, but that agreement was soon replaced by the Broncos one, which included the same terms.

If Gregory, 31, does indeed hang up his cleats, he will depart the league with 78 combined regular and postseason games to his name. His career earnings are roughly $33M. Given the nature of his Buccaneers exit, it would be a surprise if teams showed interest in him as a free agent.