Report: Cowboys free agent-to-be scheduled for offseason surgery

Randy Gregory‘s career with the Dallas Cowboys has been a rollercoaster. He has been suspended multiple times, and he has suffered through injuries, COVID-19, and other issues when he has been eligible to play. On Friday, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Gregory, a pending free agent, is set to undergo offseason surgery on his left knee.

“Randy Gregory is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left knee today, according to sources,” Archer tweeted. “He was bothered by the issue for a good portion of the season but missed games due to COVID and calf. Gregory is set to be a free agent in March but he should be ready for offseason.”

Gregory, a former star at Nebraska in college, played in 12 games this season for the Cowboys. He totaled 19 tackles, 17 quarterback hits, four tackles for loss, six sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup and one interception on the season.

In his NFL career, Gregory has totaled 85 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 52 quarterback hits, 16.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two pass breakups. The Cowboys selected Gregory with the 60th overall pick in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

In September of 2016, Gregory received a suspension from the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He was banned for ten games. He returned after serving that suspension, but less than four months later, the NFL suspended Gregory again, for the third time in his career. Due to it being his third suspension, Gregory’s suspension was for a full year.

Gregory and the Cowboys just lost in the NFC playoffs

Gregory missed a few games this season due to injuries and COVID-19. He was placed on injured reserve on November 11 due to a calf injury that he suffered during practice.

While on the field, Gregory has proven to be a consistent contributor when it comes to pressuring opposing quarterbacks. He can get into the backfield with ease at times, but he also makes some mistakes. One of those mistakes proved costly against the 49ers in the opening round of the playoffs.

Just a completely unnecessary and costly holding penalty in #SFvsDAL. Plays like these can be the difference in the game and by committing such an egregious hold, you leave the refs no choice but to throw the flag. pic.twitter.com/BfrACo9fJa

— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) January 17, 2022

The play, which was called holding on Gregory, gave the 49ers a fresh set of downs and more time on the clock. Dallas ultimately lost after a quarterback scramble resulted in the Cowboys being unable to get a final play off.

Gregory’s future in Dallas is definitely uncertain. Rookie defensive star Micah Parsons broke out this season, and he saw success at both linebacker and defensive end. The emergence of Parsons could play a role in the Cowboys’ decision on what to do with Gregory.