I’m going to abandon the 49ers if he’s not suspended.
Randy Gregory’s presence with the 49ers should cause some concern, but so should more than just his unlucky exit from Denver. In addition, he has a history of being one of the NFL’s most often suspended players ever, dating back to his rookie season and involving drug-related suspensions that kept him out of the league for the entirety of 2017 and 2019.
He also received a game suspension the previous season for striking a Rams player. Questions regarding Gregory’s extensive docket with the league office were posed to coach Kyle Shanahan.
According to 49ers Webzone, Shanahan remarked, “Yeah, you look into all that stuff always, but you always judge a guy when you get to know him and it’s our first time to do it.” However, a lot of individuals who I know well also have nothing but positive things to say about him, and they say it consistently.
“I am thrilled about the individual we have, the guy’s character, based on what I have been told by those who know him.” We also adore the tape. Although I am aware of his prior transgressions, we are thrilled to have him here given the kind of person I’ve been told he is.
After spending his first six seasons battling his demons and the fallout from his substance usage suspensions—he missed 2017 and 2019 in addition to being suspended for the first six games of 2020—Gregory appeared to be turning things around before the 2021 season.
During the Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp in Dallas in 2021, Gregory said to reporters, “It’s a lot of self-love.” “There was a time in my life when, when questioned, I could not think of a single positive quality about myself. I could think of twenty bad things to say.
I’ve come a long way since then. I have so much to be proud of about myself. I’m happy with who I am. Right now, I’m content where I am. I’m happy with the direction I went. A lot of guys never get as high as I have.
Gregory received a five-year, $70 million contract offer from the Broncos following an outstanding 2021 campaign. Unfortunately, due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 4 of the Broncos’ miserable 2022 season, he was limited to playing in just six games.
He was once again playing a lackluster game for the Broncos this season when Denver began to pitch him for a trade, planning to just waive him if no suitor materialized. The 49ers chose him as a low-risk gambler.