Martavis Bryant has a chance to redeem himself with the Dallas Cowboys
WR has been removed from the NFL for five years due to an indefinite suspension for multiple violations of the league’s substance abuse policy
A person’s last memory of Martavis Bryant in the NFL depends on perspective.
For some, that last image might be the 36-yard touchdown pass that he caught for the Pittsburgh Steelers during their 45-42 Divisional Round loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Others might think of when he commented on Instagram “Juju [Smith-Schuster] is nowhere near better than me fool.
” Bryant has a chance to create some new memories with the Dallas Cowboys.
They signed Bryant on Tuesday to the practice squad.
He has been out of the league since December 2018 when he received a third suspension from the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Bryant was previously suspended for the entire season in 2016.
He requested reinstatement multiple times over the past five years and Commissioner Roger Goodell finally reinstated him on Saturday.
The only game Bryant has played since his suspension was for the XFL’s Vegas Vipers earlier this year.
In eight games, he caught 14 passes for 154 yards.
Apparently, that was enough for the Cowboys to slash the tires on the 31-year-old, 6-foot-4 speedster.
At his best, he was a great No.
2 receiver with Antonio Brown as the No.
1 for The Steelers, back when Mike Tomlin was holding it together like Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 2 trying to keep that dysfunctional locker room from going off the rails.
Bryant certainly doesn’t have much wear and tear.
He played three seasons for the Steelers, half a season for the Oakland Raiders, and never appeared in a game during his time in the CFL.
If Bryant is as fast as he was with the Steelers, he could give the Cowboys an offensive boost.
Speed is always a valuable commodity in the NFL, especially with a player of his caliber.
This could open up the playing field for YAC king CeeDee Lamb.
That is of course a best-case scenario.
A player of his age whose only professional football game reps since 2018 are eight XFL games in the spring of 2023 is not going to vault the Cowboys to the top of the playoff picture.
However, suiting up in a single game this season would be a massive accomplishment.
While Bryant’s play on the field will likely look different, what has hopefully changed is his behavior.
What he used that got him suspended — definitely marijuana in 2016 — is irrelevant.
He appears to be unreliable and sulky.
Smith-Schuster’s post proves that in 2017 he was not ready to take full responsibility for his actions.
He was upset by his lack of goals and was eventually demoted to scout team that season before being reinstated to the roster.
Leaving the NFL the way he did was not the ideal end to a career.
If he can play well with the Cowboys and find his way back to the field this season, or next season with another change.
Many people in their 20s make costly mistakes.
Bryant paid a high price – the pinnacle of his NFL career.
He is a young man now, even in his playing years.
He still has a chance to be remembered more for moments like his playoff touchdown instead of his poor choices.
