FRISCO, Texas – One day after being removed from the reserve/did not report list, Randy Gregory is back with the Cowboys – but his work is not finished.
Speaking in a radio interview with 105.3 FM The Fan on Tuesday morning, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones confirmed that Gregory has returned to the team after concluding a stint in a treatment program.
But Jones was sure to clarify that, just because Gregory has returned from the program, it does not mean his rehabilitation is over.
"It gets pretty personal when it gets into medical – but I will say this: he has not completed his rehab," Jones said. "He will have rehab for a long time. It's arguable he may always rehab."
That's an important distinction, given the difficulty of overcoming addiction. Having said that, it is a step in the right direction for the Cowboys to welcome Gregory back into the fold, where he can be around the rest of the roster and take part in off-field activities such as meetings and workouts.
"He is back with the team," Jones said. "He'll more than likely – certainly – be in team meetings, and he'll have physical activity."
Gregory has now reverted to the reserve/suspended list, as he waits out the remainder of his four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. There have been reports since the summer that Gregory is also facing further discipline, though Jones said on Sunday that there will be a hearing to appeal that.
In the meantime, though, it has to make the Cowboys feel better to have Gregory back under their watch. Even if he won't be available to play any time soon, NFL rules stipulate that players suspended for substance abuse are allowed to be around their teams – which is a vast improvement from the past.
"It used to be, if there were any type of suspension on any basis, you couldn't come to the practice facility," Jones said. "That's not the case now. You can use the practice facility and literally be as involved with the team as you might could expect as a member of the team."
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