ARLINGTON, Texas – It sounds like Randy Gregory will be available to the Cowboys this coming week, to hear it from Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones.
Asked about his suspended defensive end following Sunday night's win, Jones said he does expect Gregory to be available for practice this week – and potentially be eligible to play against the Lions.
"He's going to be at practice – the answer is yes," Jones said. "Yes, we've been notified that he can come to practice and play [Monday]."
That could be big news for a Cowboys defense that is coping with multiple injuries along its defensive front. Gregory was suspended in the offseason for multiple violations of the NFL's substance abuse policy, and he spent time in a treatment facility while the Cowboys were in training camp.
There has been no shortage of uncertainty about his status since the end of his rookie season. He was initially suspended for four games back in February, and that was added to a 10-game suspension over the summer.
While Gregory was serving that suspension, reports surfaced that he may be facing another – which would keep him off the field for a full year. But no announcement of that sentence ever came, making the situation murkier than it already was.
As it stands right now, Gregory has served all 14 games of the levied suspension, and Jones expects him at practice as the Cowboys begin their preparations for Detroit. The Cowboys would have to make a roster move to add him to the 53-man roster, but it remains to be seen how exactly that will play out.
"He's in shape, he's been working hard, he's in real good shape," Jones said. "We're all looking forward to having him out there, and he could give us some zip."
