The Washington Commanders are releasing former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Bryant, who caught a touchdown in the preseason finale against New England, could be signed to Washington’s practice squad, however.
Bryant caught the four-yard touchdown pass from former Steelers quarterback Trace McSorley in the fourth quarter of the Commanders’ 20-10 win over the Patriots. It was Bryant’s first touchdown in six years.
Bryant finished the night with three catches for 20 yards. He was targeted once without a catch in his first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 17, but did force a fumble during a Miami interception return.
Bryant, who was suspended from the NFL indefinitely in 2018 after failing multiple drug tests, was reinstated last season and signed with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, but did not appear in a game. He was released by the Cowboys this May and had been a free agent before joining Washington in the middle of training camp on Aug. 13. Former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is now the head coach in Washington.
The 32-year-old played all over in his hiatus from the NFL, spending time with the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League, the FCF Beasts in Fan Controlled Football, the Massachusetts Pirates of the IFL and the Vegas Vipers of the XFL before returning to the NFL with the Cowboys.
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.
The Steelers got a third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft in exchange for Bryant. They used that pick and another to trade up and select quarterback Mason Rudolph.