The Pittsburgh Steelers made one transaction on Monday as they placed wide receiver Matrtavis Bryant on the Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner list for his violation of the substance abuse policy.
Bryant, who choose not to appeal his one-year suspension, will now miss the entire 2016 season for once again violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Bryant’s reported missing of several drug test is what led to him being suspended for the second time in two seasons.
Bryant will be eligible to apply for reinstatement within 60 days of the date of his suspension and the league will then have the same window to rule on his application. He will not be eligible to play, practice or otherwise engage in team activities until he is reinstated and he will have to forfeit his 2016 salary of $600,000.
The Steelers will be credited $600,000 toward this year’s salary cap immediately and while they will also eventually get credit for a prorated portion of Bryant’s signing bonus that works out to $109,805, that credit isn’t likely to be applied until 2017.
Bryant’s 2016 contract year will now also toll and that now means he’ll remain under contract with the Steelers through the 2018 season as a result. The team currently has no plans to release Bryant.
Bryant was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Clemson. He’s caught 76 passes for 1,314 yards and 14 touchdowns in the 21 regular season games that he’s played in.
