The Dallas Cowboys had their fair share of injuries in 2021. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence suffered a broken foot and wide receiver Michael Gallup went down with a calf strain in the season opener before tearing his ACL later in the year. Quarterback Dak Prescott also suffered a calf strain, Ezekiel Elliott played with a torn PCL since Week 4, and Tyron Smith missed nearly a third of the season with an ankle injury.
Another can be added to the list. Defensive end Randy Gregory is preparing to be a free agent for the first time in his career. However he appeared to be limping at times during the Cowboys season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, it was an issue that he dealt with for quite some time, and he will now have surgery on Friday to repair an injured knee.
Randy Gregory is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left knee today, according to sources. He was bothered by the issue for a good portion of the season but missed games due to COVID and calf. Gregory is set to be a free agent in March but he should be ready for offseason.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) January 21, 2022
Gregory missed the Cowboys’ Week 2 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers due to COVID and was absent for four games because of a calf strain suffered in November. When he was on the field, however, Gregory was as productive as he’s ever been, tying career highs in sacks (6) and forced fumbles (3) and his 17 quarterback hits surpassed his previous best of 15 in 2018.
Gregory will be one of 21 free agents the Cowboys will have to make decisions on. More than likely, his name will be at the top of the list as he and the aforementioned Lawrence, when healthy, are one of the better defensive end duos in the NFL.
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