The Pittsburgh Steelers have been heavy in the veteran wide receiver market this offseason, signing three of them in the last two months. But they might not be in the Martavis Bryant market. Instead, the Washington Commanders are the first team to give him a look since being released by the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. According to NFL Insider Aaron Wilson, Bryant will work out for the team Wednesday.
It tracks with reporting that came out at the time of his release last week, noting there was league-wide interest in signing him. Bryant was reinstated and got back into the NFL last season, his first year in the league since 2018. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad in November and spent most of the regular season there before being released in early January. The Cowboys brought him back two weeks later.
Now 32 years old, Martavis Bryant was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Inactive the first half of his rookie season, he burst onto the scene in his first month of action, catching 14 passes for 310 yards and a gaudy six touchdowns. He’d finish his rookie year with eight scores on just 26 catches. A height/weight/speed freak, Bryant was poised to have a strong career. But he was repeatedly suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and anti-marijuana stance. That included missing the entire 2016 season due to repeated violations.
Pittsburgh traded Bryant to the Oakland Raiders during the 2018 NFL Draft, receiving a third-round pick. Bryant appeared in only eight games for Oakland, catching 19 passes with zero touchdowns before being suspended indefinitely in December.
After that, he bounced around in different leagues. The Indoor Football League, the Fan Controlled League, and briefly in the CFL, though he never played a down north of the border. He got back into football with the XFL’s Vegas Vipers in 2023. Despite lackluster production, he earned NFL looks once Roger Goodell lifted his suspension. The league’s marijuana policy is also much more relaxed.
Now, Martavis Bryant will try to catch onto a roster ahead of OTAs. Notable names in the Commanders’ receiver room consist of Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and rookie third-round pick Luke McCaffrey. Washington’s head coach is Dan Quinn, who served as the Cowboys’ DC last year, perhaps increasing the odds of a signing with a solid workout.
