Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Randy Gregory reportedly wants to take the NFL and his former team, the Denver Broncos, to court over half a million dollars in fines.
The pass rusher filed suit in Arapahoe County District Court on Wednesday, alleging discrimination after being fined more than a year for taking medications, including THC, for disabilities, according to Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
In the complaint, Gregory alleges he has been fined a total of $532,500 for repeated positive THC tests since March 2023, although it does not specify how many times he was fined or whether all of those fines came with the Broncos. The NFL no longer suspends players for marijuana use, but it is still a banned substance and players are subject to fines if they test positive.
The Post also notes that the Broncos reportedly played no role in administering the fines, which are under the purview of the NFL and enforced in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association.
Gregory allegedly claims he was prescribed Dronabinol, which is synthetic THC, to help treat social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. He apparently asked for permission to use it outside of work hours in March 2023, and then requested a therapeutic use exception that May. He was denied both times.
From the post:
“This is a serious effort by Randy to push the NFL forward on alternative methods for pain management options,” Gregory’s agent, Peter Schaffer, told The Post. “If a doctor prescribes hydrocodone, that is completely legal and much worse for the player, but the player is not suspended or fined. Randy isn’t trying to buck the system, but he is paying $500,000 in fines for something anyone else in the state of Colorado can do. All we want is a reasonable accommodation to allow Randy to treat his disabilities under the guidance of his doctor.”
The lawsuit alleges that Gregory was denied a reasonable accommodation for his diagnosed disabilities, which is considered discriminatory under Colorado law.
Prohibited substance use has been a career-threatening issue for Gregory in the past, as he missed much of the 2016 season, the entire 2017 season and the entire 2019 season due to a litany of failed drug tests.
There will probably be many players and agents following this process from afar. The NFL has never been shy about fining its players small fortunes for the smallest infractions, and this is one area where players won’t be happy until they feel like they don’t have to choose between their money and the lack of pain. or mental stress.
Gregory’s lawsuit also comes after an unceremonious departure from the Broncos, who signed him to a five-year, $70 million contract in free agency in 2022. The signing was reportedly a blow to the Broncos, who nabbed Gregory after that he reportedly agreed to a deal to remain with the Dallas Cowboys, but it turned out to be a disaster.
After 6.0 sacks in his final season with the Cowboys, Gregory recorded just 3.0 sacks in 10 games over two seasons with Denver. The team decided to part ways with him at the start of last season and spent a total of $22.4 million in dead money in the process, initially deciding to release him before trading him to the San Francisco 49ers.
Gregory did little with the Niners and signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Bucs in April.
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