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The Dallas Cowboys have signed Martavis Bryant, a once-promising wide receiver prospect in the NFL. Bryant has been out of the league for the better part of five years and has been formally added to the Cowboys' practice squad.
The former Clemson Tigers alum last played in the NFL in the 2018 season due to repeated violations of the league's substance abuse policy.
After signing with the then-Oakland Raiders during the 2018 season, he played in just eight games for the Raiders before suffering a knee injury. Then, on December 14, 2018, the NFL suspended Bryant indefinitely as punishment for violating the terms of his conditional reinstatement following a drug-related suspension in 2016. While Bryant applied for reinstatement in 2019, it was only in November 2023 that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated him. It's been five years since he last played in the National Football League.
Martavis Bryant's college football career
Bryant was a highly touted prospect coming out of college. A plethora of elite college programs recruited the pacy wideout but eventually chose the NFL talent incubator, the Clemson Tigers.
Bryant joined the college in 2011 and competed with future NFL stars DeAndre Hopkins, Sammy Watkins and Jaron Brown for a wide receiver berth. The South Carolina native did pretty well in his first year, accumulating a stat line of 220 receiving yards and two touchdowns on a completely stacked roster.
Bryant kept getting better with time and became the Tigers' primary pass catcher in his sophomore season. He ended his last year in Clemson with a stat line of 42 catches, 828 receiving yards and seven TDs. He declared for the NFL Draft in January 2014.
Martavis Bryant's NFL career
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Martavis Bryant in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. The Clemson alum has been a serviceable pass catcher during his time in the league, as he is a regular 500-plus receiving yards threat when fit and available. However, Bryant hasn't always been "available" in his professional football career.
He missed the entire 2016 NFL season due to a suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. He was conditionally reinstated in April 2017 but fell foul of the policy again in 2018. Following his 2018 violation, the league suspended him indefinitely, a suspension that eventually lasted about five years.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has since reinstated Bryant, so he'll have another chance in the league with the Dallas Cowboys. It remains to be seen whether Bryant takes advantage of this new opportunity.
