Former NFL WR: 'I Got a Lot of Football Left, I Know I Can Contribute'

Former NFL WR: ‘I Got a Lot of Football Left, I Know I Can Contribute’

Posted by Admin July 6, 2024 Football

Highlights

Martavis Bryant believes he’s ready to return to play in the NFL.
Bryant was reinstated from suspension in November 2021 and has played in the XFL and CFL.
The 32-year-old wide receiver has 17 career touchdowns and could provide veteran presence if he avoids substance abuse issues.

Former NFL wide receiver Martavis Bryant believes he is ready to come back and play.

“I got a lot of football left,” Bryant said while appearing on a local news program in Charlotte.

Bryant was reinstated from an indefinite suspension last November. He’d been suspended in 2018 for repeated violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.

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Bryant Believes He Has Plenty Left in the Tank

Former fourth-round pick hasn’t signed anywhere yet.

Bryant was drafted in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014. While with Pittsburgh, he had 126 catches for 1,917 yards and 17 touchdowns in 36 games. He was suspended for the entire 2016 season before being traded to the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders.

The indefinite suspension began while he was still with the Raiders in 2018. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad when he was cleared to return.

The Cowboys then signed Bryant to a future deal, but he was released in May. He played in the XFL in 2023.

Bryant appeared on Queen City News in Charlotte and said he feels he can still contribute to a team.

“I got a lot of football left,” Bryant said. “Still love the game, never stopped loving the game. I had to take some time to reflect on myself and get my situation straight off the field. I did that. I put in a lot of work. There’s still so much left I can do. I know I can contribute to somebody that wants to give me the opportunity.”

Bryant also said he’d spoken with Carolina Panthers senior assistant Jim Caldwell, but he didn’t indicate that he might be signing with the Panthers. Bryant had worked out with the Washington Commanders this spring.

The 32-year-old Bryant’s last NFL season with the Raiders was brief. He played in eight games and caught 19 passes for 266 yards. Pittsburgh traded him to the Raiders in the spring of 2018. Oakland released him in September but resigned him 10 days later to a one-year deal.

Martavis Bryant Career Stats
Games	44
Receptions	145
Yards	2,183
Touchdowns	17

Bryant has tried to stay involved in football since 2018. In 2023 he played in eight games — starting six — for the XFL’s Vegas Vipers. In 2021, he signed on with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts but was placed on the suspended list after he failed to appear for training camp. He was released when the season ended, and he never played a down for Toronto.

He was briefly on the Edmonton Elks’ roster in 2022 but he was let go before training camp started. He also signed with indoor football teams such as the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League and the FCF Beasts of the Fan Controlled Football League.

Bryant could provide a team that needs WR help a veteran presence off the bench, assuming he avoids running further afoul of the league’s substance abuse policy. He is 32, so his age may be a concern for some teams, but if he still has ability there’s a chance that he could add depth to some team’s wide receiver room.

Sources: Pro Football Talk, Queen City News

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.