The Dallas Cowboys have reportedly signed wide receiver Martavis Bryant to the practice squad.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Bryant worked on Tuesday afternoon and met with the Cowboys’ coaching staff afterward. Plus, he is set to start practicing with the rest of the team this week.
Cowboys are signing WR Martavis Bryant to their practice squad, a person familiar with move said. He worked out for team this afternoon and met with coaching staff afterward. All went smoothly. He is set to practice this week in the NFL for first time since 2018.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) November 7, 2023
This comes after the Cowboys’ front office confirmed on Monday that he would visit The Star for a workout on Tuesday.
Stephen Jones on 105.3 The Fan described the 31-year-old receiver as “big, strong, and fast” and a guy that they would certainly take a closer look at.
Then, on Tuesday, ahead of the visit, Jerry Jones spoke about Bryant’s visit multiple times during his weekly interview on 105.3 The Fan, saying, “I really like where we are at this stage in this season with the potential we’ve got of expanding the success of our receiving core,” said Jones, who added, “We’ve got ways to move the football in my mind as to our talent level.”
Who Is Martavis Bryant?
Bryant was a fourth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014 and foreshadowed a promising future.
However, in 2015, during his second season with the Steelers, he served a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
Another violation would end up getting Bryant banned for the entirety of the 2016 season. After that, he returned to the team in 2017 under a conditional reinstatement and played 15 games.
The wideout was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2018 and would eventually encounter an indefinite suspension from the NFL. However, reports from NFL Network surfaced earlier in the week that Commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated the receiver and could play in the NFL once again.
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
During his time in the NFL, Bryant played 44 games and totaled 2,183 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns on 145 receptions.
Since then, he has played in multiple leagues, including the Canadian Football League, Indoor Football League, and the XFL.
Bryant’s Addition to the Cowboys’ WR Room
Adding Bryant to the practice squad is a no-harm, no-foul move by the Cowboys.
Although he hasn’t played in the NFL since 2018, he is still fresh and played his last game in the XFL with the Vegas Vipers this past season, compiling 14 receptions for 154 yards on the year.
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He will join rookie WR Jalen Brooks on the practice squad, which now has two wideouts.
Bryant’s experience in the NFL will be valuable for the younger guys in the room, like Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin. He also adds insurance should an injury occur to one of the team’s pass catchers at any point of the season.