Report: Broncos, not Cowboys, will sign prized DE Randy Gregory

Defensive end Randy Gregory intends to sign a contract with the Denver Broncos, not the Dallas Cowboys, according to Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson. 

It was reported earlier Tuesday that Gregory was signing a five-year, $70 million extension with the Cowboys, but that deal fell apart when the Cowboys included language in the contract that Gregory didn't like.

Gregory, 29, has had several issues over the past few years that have kept him off the field. In 2021 that issue was injury. He missed four games due to a calf strain (and one due to COVID-19), but still made a career-high 11 starts and ended the season with 19 tackles, six sacks, an interception, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He reportedly had knee surgery in January to correct an issue that bothered him all season, but hadn't cost him playing time.

Beyond that, Gregory has served multiple suspensions due to violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He missed 14 games in 2016 due to two failed drug tests and ended up checking himself into a treatment facility. He was suspended for the entire 2017 season and again for the 2019 season, also due to violations of the substance abuse policy. He spoke to ESPN about his issues with addiction in 2018.

Despite all that, the Cowboys were dedicated to him. He rejoined the roster after the NFL reinstated him in 2020 and he served a six-game suspension. When he finally made it back to the field he managed to shine on a hopeless Cowboys team that was missing its star quarterback. He was great in 2021, and it looked like the Cowboys' defense would continue to be fearsome with Gregory, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Malik Hooker all returning. 

Gregory's u-turn throws a wrench into all that. He's headed to the Broncos, and as you might have expected, the team's Twitter account was ready for it.