Ex-Steeler Martavis Bryant targeting NFL comeback

Sep 16, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Martavis Bryant (12) after the game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant is looking to return to the NFL after a five-year absence.

Bryant has officially been reinstated by commissioner Roger Goodell and is hopeful of finding a new team, his agent James Peterson told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The 31-year-old has been training for a return and has drawn some initial interest.

Veteran WR Martavis Bryant, who last played in the NFL in 2018, has been reinstated by Commissioner Roger Goodell and is drawing interest from teams, per his agent James Peterson.

Bryant, 31, has been training for a comeback and played in the XFL last summer. pic.twitter.com/2jDHNCiN6e

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 4, 2023

Bryant’s last NFL game was almost five years ago, when he suited up for the Raiders on Nov. 11, 2018. He was suspended roughly a month later for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It was his third such suspension, and it essentially ended his NFL career. He tried to catch on in the CFL and later the XFL to keep his career alive.

A former fourth-round pick out of Clemson, Bryant flashed great potential, particularly in his first two NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His substance abuse issues derailed that career, but the door appears to be at least open for an unlikely comeback.