Short-lived return: Cowboys' Randy Gregory suspended one year, effective immediately

That didn’t last long.

On Sunday, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory played just his second game of this season and collected his first career sack. He had been suspended for the first 14 games of 2016 for multiple violations on the NFL’s policy on substances of abuse.

On Tuesday, the second-year player flew up to New York City for an appeal hearing after missing a drug test during his suspension, returning to Dallas on Wednesday. Though the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that it was expected that Gregory would have an answer within 7-10 days, it came much faster.

On Thursday, the league announced that Gregory is suspended for one year, effective immediately, and must apply for reinstatement at the end of his year term.

He cannot participate in the postseason for Dallas, which earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC and is on a bye this week.

The 60th overall pick in the 2015 draft (he slipped after failing a drug test at the Combine), Gregory played in 12 games as a rookie after suffering an ankle sprain in the regular-season opener.