Randy Gregory impressed in his San Francisco 49ers debut. Acquired via a trade with the Denver Broncos on October 6, the veteran pass rusher showcased his potential while suiting up in red and gold for the first time in Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.
Gregory finished the game with three tackles, three quarterback hits, one sack, and two tackles for loss. Pro Football Focus credited him with three pressures, and his pass-rushing grade of 70.7 was his season's best.
On Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked to assess Gregory's play in his first action with the 49ers.
"I thought it was a positive one just getting out there. He has been in our scheme for two and a half practices up to that moment," Shanahan said. "To be able to get in there and make some plays, get in the sack and the TFL. I loved his length out there. I love what we saw. I think the more he gets with us, the more he practices, the more he understands our scheme, the better he'll get."
The 49ers are pinning their hopes on Gregory's career resurgence under the guidance of defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, known for getting the best out of his players.
Despite being heavily favored, Sunday's loss weighed heavily on the team. The 49ers entered the game knowing that nothing would come easy. For Gregory, the pain of losing with his new team mirrors the familiar sting of defeats in Denver.
"Anywhere you're at, it stings, especially a team like that," Gregory said after the game. "We talked about all week about it being kind of a dogfight going in. I think some people that are casuals probably think the Browns aren't the greatest team, but we understood the type of task we had at hand, the type of defense they had. So we knew we were going to be in a dogfight, and that's the way it goes.
"I think a couple of plays are changed and go our way, we come out with the win ,but you can't get stuck on that. On to next week."
Gregory says it stung losing his first game as a 49er in a "dog fight" pic.twitter.com/wiYMlfsVUn
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) October 15, 2023
Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2015, Gregory (6-5, 242) has recorded 109 tackles, 25 tackles for a loss, 64 quarterback hits, 20.5 sacks, three passes defensed, an interception, and 10 forced fumbles in 61 game appearances (18 starts) through his seven NFL seasons (he was suspended in 2017).
