Source: Cowboys signing WR Martavis Bryant, who'd been suspended by NFL since 2018
The Dallas Cowboys are signing veteran wide receiver Martavis Bryant, Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein confirms.
The Cowboys are signing WR Martavis Bryant, sources confirm to @YahooSports.
Bryant last played in the NFL in 2018 before suspensions led to layoff. 2,183 yards + 17 TDs in 44 NFL games. During 2023 XFL season, posted 154 yards.— Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) November 7, 2023
He'll initially sign with the practice squad. The Athletic's Shams Charania first reported the news Tuesday.
Bryant, 31, hasn't played in the NFL in five years. The NFL suspended Bryant indefinitely in 2018 after multiple violations of the league's substance-abuse policy. The league announced in December 2018 that Bryant had violated the terms of a conditional reinstatement from a previous suspension.
The league reinstated Bryant last week, and he's since visited the Cowboys. That visit has now resulted in an NFL contract for Bryant. Terms of the agreement weren't initially reported.
Can Bryant make an impact for Cowboys?
Bryant's previously played four seasons in the NFL from 2014-18. He missed the 2016 season under an NFL suspension.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Bryant in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Clemson. He made an immediate impact as a big-play threat as a rookie playing opposite All-Pro Antonio Brown. He caught 26 passes for 549 yards (21.1 yards per reception) and eight touchdowns in 10 games as a rookie.
He played two more seasons in Pittsburgh, including one after his 2016 suspension. He played a diminished role after his suspension and the emergence of JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2017. The Steelers traded him to the then Oakland Raiders in 2018 for a third-round draft pick.
Bryant played 12 games for Oakland in 2018, tallying 19 catches for 266 yards before he was suspended again in December of that season. He's continued to play football since his suspension in multiple leagues, including the CFL, XFL and Indoor Football League.
Bryant joins a Cowboys team that's 5-3 and 2.5 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. He joins a wide receiver depth chart featuring Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb at the top with no clear No. 2 receiver. Michael Gallup (22 catches, 243 yards) and Brandin Cooks (17 catches, 165 yards) trail Lamb (57 catches, 824) in production among Cowboys receivers.
If Bryant can revive his role as a deep threat, he could be a valuable midseason addition to a Cowboys team fighting for playoff positioning.
