NFL Rumors: Randy Gregory Cut by Broncos; LB Signed $70M Contract in 2022

Randy Gregory's time with the Denver Broncos is reportedly coming to an end much sooner than expected.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Broncos are releasing the 30-year-old linebacker as they focus on a youth movement. That means Gregory will become a free agent.

The Nebraska product signed a five-year, $70 million deal with the Broncos in 2022.

Gregory spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys. It seemed like he was going back to Dallas in 2022, but he ultimately changed his mind.

Cowboys writer Patrik Walker reported a "last-minute implosion between the two sides pushed him to the Broncos" when Dallas "doubled back to make a change that wasn't palatable to Gregory's camp."

His time with the Cowboys was anything but smooth, as he was suspended for 14 games in 2016 for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. He was suspended for the 2017 season, two games in 2018, the 2019 season and six games in 2020 for various violations.

Yet he played 12 games in 2021 before he came to Denver and seemed ready to take on a major role with his team. Then a knee injury limited him to only six games in his first season with the Broncos.

Gregory appeared in the team's first four games this season and posted nine total tackles, one sack and one pass defended.

Gregory was a second-round pick in the 2015 draft and has proven himself a capable pass-rusher in the past with six sacks in 2018 and six sacks in 2021. Perhaps another team looking for veteran help will take a chance on him now that he is hitting free agency.

As for the 1-3 Broncos, they are moving on with an eye on the future as they attempt to build a long-term contender in the coming years.