FRISCO, Texas – Randy Gregory has in fact withdrawn the appeal of an impending suspension, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones confirmed Tuesday morning.
Asked about it during his weekly interview with 105.3 The Fan, however, Jones said it wasn't Gregory or the Cowboys organization who decided not to pursue the appeal any further.
"He didn't – the Players Association did," Jones said. "You have to have the support of the Players Association or else it's hopeless, and they felt that, legally – technically, legally – that he didn't have an appeal. And that decision was made there."
That would seem to close the book on what has been a long, strange chapter for Gregory since his rookie season ended. The former second-round pick was suspended for four games in February for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
In the time since, there has been a strong indication – though no official word – that another suspension was following the original punishment. During that time, Gregory also checked himself into a treatment facility, thereby missing all of training camp and the Cowboys' preseason.
"He does have, certainly, issues," Jones said. "The way the CBA is, the way the Collective Bargaining Agreement is, it boxed him out of having any merit to his appeal. This is the information I got from the Players Association."
Multiple reports surfaced on Monday evening that Gregory had withdrawn his appeal. Though the official suspension has yet to be disclosed, those reports indicate that it's likely to be a separate, 10-game suspension in addition to the four-game suspension. If that's the case, Gregory wouldn't be able to practice with the team until Dec. 19 – the day after the Week 15 game against Tampa Bay.
He'd only be eligible to play in the final two weeks of the season, against Detroit and Philadelphia.
That's a tough blow for a Dallas defense that could use some help on the defensive line. The Cowboys have four sacks through two games, but their pass rush has struggled with consistency. That should get a boost when DeMarcus Lawrence returns from his four-game suspension on Oct. 3, but it doesn't look like Gregory will be joining him any time soon.
It's bound to be disappointing for a player who drafted No. 60 overall just 16 months ago.
"If you look at the amount of playtime that we've gotten out of a second-round pick, then I'd say it's not been good," Jones said. "But ultimately, if we can have him on the field – which would rightfully be questioned. But if we could have him on the field, it would be an outstanding pick."
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