One of the more bizarre storylines of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offseason has finally wrapped up. Randy Gregory was officially released on Thursday afternoon, ending a five month saga that ultimately amounted to a bunch of wasted time and roster space.
Gregory signed with the Bucs back in April, hoping to use a spot in Todd Bowles's edge rushing rotation to continue reviving his career. He was a rising star for a brief moment with the Cowboys before bouncing between the Broncos and 49ers last season.
Off-field issues impacted his growth with all three teams, and he's currently involved in a lawsuit against the Broncos over fines he claims shouldn't have been paid. Gregory has been open about his struggles with mental health, which is why he said he informed the Broncos and the NFL of his medical marijuana use last season.
He was still fined, and many have speculated this is the reason the Buccaneers were pulled into the middle of the drama. No one knows for sure, though, as Gregory ghosted the Bucs after signing his deal and the team has no idea why.
On Thursday his brief time with the team came to an end after the two sides reached an agreement that led to his release.
Details of Buccaneers release agreement with Randy Gregory revealed
NFL insider Greg Auman passed along the details of Gregory's settlement with the Bucs. Essentially, all that was wasted was some time, as Tampa Bay was fully reimbursed the value of Gregory's contract.
Bucs will finalize the agreement to release OLB Randy Gregory today. He has fully repaid the $1.3 million roster bonus he got from the team. Never reported to the team. His release will stop $50,000/day in mandatory fines for non-reporting.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 22, 2024
Gregory isn't off the hook for his fines just because he paid back his signing bonus. That money doesn't go to the Bucs, rather it's donated to NFL-approved charities, but it won't come out of the total he's repaying the team.
"Gregory repaid his bonus, won’t collect any base salary. CBA says daily fines are mandatory and cannot be reduced," Auman reported. "He will lose money for his time with the Bucs."
In one final twist, the story will apparently end with Gregory announcing his retirement in the coming days.
As frustrating as the whole saga was, all that matters now is Gregory's well-being. He hasn't been shy about battling his demons in the past, and while nobody knows the reason he ghosted the Bucs it's worth mentioning that everyone involved in Tampa Bay's side of the process is only wishing the best for Gregory moving forward.
Now the focus can fully turn to the season and how the BUcs will prepare to run things back after the success they had last year. With Gregory gone, the door is now open for someone like Jose Ramirez or Markees Watts to step up and earn a roster spot in the final week of the preseason.