Martavis Bryant to Work Out with Washington Commanders

Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant is scheduled to work out Wednesday for the Washington Commanders, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Bryant was released last week by the Dallas Cowboys, whose former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is now head coach in Washington.

If Bryant signs with Washington, the Steelers could see him in 2024, as they have the Commanders on their schedule in 2024.

Bryan made his return to the NFL late last this season after he spent four years waiting out reinstatement for an indefinite suspension by commissioner Roger Goodell. He signed with the Cowboys practice squad on Nov. 7, but was released on Jan. 4 without appearing in a game. The Cowboys later re-signed him to a contract for 2024, but after adding sixth-round pick Ryan Flournoy and meeting with free agent wide receiver Zay Jones last week, they decided to cut Bryant loose.

Pelissero reports that several other teams are interested in Bryant, and the Steelers certainly could be one of them. They’re looking for an outside receiver to pair with George Pickens, but have come away empty handed despite trade talks for Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Courtland Sutton.

Bryant, 32, has not played in the NFL since 2018, when he was with the Oakland Raiders. He was suspended indefinitely by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in 2018 after several failed drug tests for marijuana usage. He applied for reinstatement in 2019, but spent four years waiting to be reinstated, even after the NFL changed the rules so that Bryant would not longer have been suspended for his offenses if they occurred today.

Since he got the boot from the league, Bryant has been playing anywhere and everywhere, spending time with the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League, at least two indoor football teams. He then played last spring with the Vegas Vipers of the XFL.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Bryant spent the first three seasons of his career in Pittsburgh, catching 126 passes for 1,917 yards and 17 touchdowns. The Steelers traded Bryant to the Oakland Raiders before the 2018 season, but he played in just eight games before the suspension.