Martavis Bryant has released a full statement, the first comments he’s made since the NFL suspended him for the 2016 season for violations of the league drug policy.
The statement, in full, courtesy of Aaron Wilson on National Football Post.
“I sincerely apologize to the Rooney family, the great Pittsburgh Steelers organization, coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Kevin Colbert, my teammates and all of the outstanding Steelers fans and, of course, my mother and children for what happened. I regret that my actions led to this punishment from the NFL and that I won’t be able to play football this year. I’m committed to making this right and realizing my full potential, on and off the field. I will spend this year devoting myself to improvement mentally, physically and spiritually to become the best Martavis Bryant I can be.
“I look forward to resuming my NFL career next year, and I promise to come back strong. Playing in the NFL is a privilege that I respect and my future actions will reflect just how seriously I take this game and the honor that it is to be a part of this league. Please respect my privacy and my family’s privacy during this difficult time. I will have no further comment at this time.”
Bryant is rumored to have missed drug tests, which are considered an automatic failure, in addition to actual failed tests. He was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 for failed drug tests.
While his words sound great, and I don’t make any attempt to diminish the internal struggles he’s dealing with, they are ultimately hollow and his actions will be the only things that matter.
He has already been moved to the reserve/suspended list and can apply for reinstatement in the spring. Roger Goodell is not one to be quick about these types of things, however. Goodell has 60 days to decide on a reinstatement, but Josh Gordon’s request has surpassed that timeline. Who knows when Bryant will actually hear back from the commissioner.
Kevin Colbert and Art Rooney II have been adamant about keeping Bryant for now, the no-brainer move, but his future with the team is murky at best. If this is the end of his career, he’ll end it with 76 receptions for 1314 yards, and 14 touchdowns in the regular season.
