Former Pittsburgh Steelers stud wide receiver, Martavis Bryant is one of the more curious cases over the past 10 years. After being selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, he burst onto the scene in his rookie campaign. Bryant made several highlight reel catches en route to 11 touchdowns in just nine games in 2014, including one in the playoffs.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant lasted just eight games with the Oakland Raiders in 2018.
Bryant was seen as the perfect complement to Antonio Brown, something the team could build for years to come. Unfortunately, other things got in the way of that coming to fruition. Bryant was suspended multiple times for his struggles adapting to the league's substance abuse policy. He ended up playing a total of just 40 games for the Steelers before they traded him away to the Oakland Raiders in 2018. There, he appeared in just eight contests.
Will former Steelers WR Bryant get another shot?
We haven't seen him in the NFL since. If you didn't know by now though, Bryant is trying to make a Josh Gordon-like comeback. He's played all over the past few seasons, including the CFL and most recently, the XFL. He was drafted by Rod Woodson's team, the Vegas Vipers, back in November. The wideout's season came with some mixed results.
He caught just 14 of 28 targets for a less-than-astounding 154 receiving yards. That probably isn't enough to warrant a revival in the NFL just quite yet. Like with Gordon's situation when he was trying to make a comeback, Bryant would have to receive reinstatement from the NFL. His former teammate from the Steelers, Cam Heyward, addressed the topic on his podcast Not Just Football.
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Steelers defensive lineman, Cameron Heyward (#97) stands on the field at Acrisure Stadium before a 2022 regular season game against the New York Jets.
"You look at guys like Martavis Bryant, and you look at Josh Gordon, and you see that the rules of the NFL have changed. If those things had changed before, those guys wouldn’t be out of the league. Those guys can play in the NFL. They’ve proven that. Let’s see if they can continue to do it, and they work their way back up. Our game's at a different spot now," Heyward said on Not Just Football.
Now, the star defensive lineman was simply speaking on the fact that Bryant should be reinstated legally, not necessarily through his play. Heyward was there for all of Bryant's four-year tenure in Pittsburgh, and still is. Ultimately, Gordon was reinstated by the NFL a few years back. He's actually played an NFL game in five of the last six seasons now, bouncing around to a few different squads.
The case shouldn't be much different with Bryant. It's on commissioner Roger Goodell to treat it as such. After that, the issue will be whether or not a team will be interested in the former Steelers wideout. Again, his lack of success in the XFL might be a bit concerning, and he is now 31 years old. The time is running out for him to make a reappearance in the NFL, but Goodell should at least give him a chance with a reinstatement.
Do you agree with Heyward that Bryant should be reinstated by the league? What is your favorite memory of Bryant in a Steeler uniform? Would the WR have become a Pro Bowler if he was able to stay away from trouble with the league? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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