Former Denver Broncos outside linebacker Randy Gregory is suing the NFL and his ex-team for fines levied against him that he believes were discriminatory.
The NFL fined the pass rusher $532,500 for multiple positive THC tests while he was with the Broncos in 2023. Gregory has said he was prescribed dronabinol for social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress, but the league twice denied his request for permission to use the drug banned by the NFL.
Earlier this summer, a federal judge returned the lawsuit to Colorado court after the NFL attempted to keep it in federal court, according to the Denver Gazette's Michael Karlik. That's a win for Gregory, who is suing for what he believes were violations of the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act.
"The
NFL and the Broncos moved to transfer the case into federal court," according to Karlik, but U.S. District Court Judge S. Kato Crews sent it back to state court in a June 26 order. The case has now been returned to Arapahoe County.
Denver coach Sean Payton was last asked about the lawsuit in June of 2024.
“I’m aware of what was written in the lawsuit, but it’s nothing that I had to deal with directly at all," Payton said in 2024. "I think it is more — and even talking with his agent — I think it’s more of a league issue than necessarily a Broncos issue. Nonetheless, there was nothing that I ever dealt with.”
Gregory's agent, Peter Schaffer, confirmed Payton's assertion in a 2024 quote to 9News.
“This has nothing to do with the Broncos," Schaffer told KUSA-TV's Mike Klis. "They have done nothing wrong. This is all about the NFL. Really what this is all about is a player’s right – a citizen’s right – to take the medicine that a doctor has prescribed for him."
The Broncos signed Gregory to a five-year, $70 million contract in 2022. He was healthy for six games that year and totaled two sacks. Gregory recorded one sack in five games the following season before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers. He hasn't been in the NFL since he failed to report to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after signing a one-year deal with the club in 2024.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Federal judge sends Randy Gregory lawsuit vs. NFL, Broncos back to Colorado court
