Agent: Martavis Bryant Reinstated to NFL; Teams Eye Ex-Steelers, Raiders, XFL WR | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Carter Sullivan NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has reinstated wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who was indefinitely suspended by the league in 2018.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network broke the news via Bryant's agent, James Peterson, who added that Bryant is receiving interest from multiple NFL teams.
Tom Pelissero @TomPelisseroVeteran WR Martavis Bryant, who last played in the NFL in 2018, has been reinstated by Commissioner Roger Goodell and is drawing interest from teams, per his agent James Peterson. <br><br>Bryant, 31, has been training for a comeback and played in the XFL last summer. <a href="">
Bryant played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014, 2015 and 2017 and the Oakland Raiders in 2018. In 44 games over four NFL seasons, the ex-Clemson star has amassed 145 catches for 2,183 yards and 17 touchdowns. He most recently played for the XFL's Vegas Vipers this season, catching 14 passes for 154 yards.
The NFL suspended Bryant for the 2016 season after multiple violations of the league's substance abuse policy. He returned for the 2017 season on a conditional basis, but the league then suspended him indefinitely after another violation.
"Effective immediately, Martavis Bryant has been returned to the Reserve/Commissioner Suspended list indefinitely for violating the terms of his April 2017 conditional reinstatement under the Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse," a Dec. 2018 league statement read.
Bryant formally applied for reinstatement in July 2019. Over four years later, Bryant has found a pathway back into the league after stints with the Indoor Football League's Massachusetts Pirates (2021), CFL's Toronto Argonauts (2021), the Fan Controlled Football League Beasts (2022), the aforementioned Vipers (2023)
Bryant broke onto the NFL scene as a prolific deep threat, averaging 21.1 yards per reception and catching eight touchdowns in just 10 games during his rookie year. He followed that up with a career-high 50 receptions for 765 yards in 11 games in 2015.
The 31-year-old didn't enjoy as much success in his final two NFL seasons, but he now has a chance to add another chapter to his pro career. At 6'4" and 210 pounds, Bryant presents a matchup problem for smaller cornerbacks.
The issue, of course, is that Bryant is eight years removed from his NFL heyday, and he didn't particularly fare well in his XFL stint by averaging fewer than two catches per game. But the door is now open for Bryant to return as he looks to make a big comeback.