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John Keim, ESPN Staff Writer
Martavis Bryant finished the preseason with a strong fourth quarter — but it wasn’t enough to force his way onto the Washington Commanders’ roster.
Washington released Bryant on Tuesday. It’s possible Washington tries to sign Bryant on its practice squad if he clears waivers.
Bryant has not played in a game since 2018, when he was suspended indefinitely for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He spent two months on Dallas’ practice squad last season after being reinstated by the league on Nov. 4, when Dan Quinn was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator.
After Washington signed Bryant on Aug. 13, Quinn recalled how much Bryant helped prepare the Dallas defense for facing a big receiver with speed.
The 6-foot-4, 211-pound Bryant, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds before the 2014 draft and had retained that speed, caught three passes for 20 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s 20-10 preseason finale vs. New England. He also drew two pass interference penalties totaling another 64 yards.
Bryant was suspended for the 2016 season and then was indefinitely suspended in December 2018 while a member of the Oakland Raiders. Before that indefinite suspension, Bryant had caught a combined 145 passes for 2,138 yards and 17 touchdowns. In four career postseason games — all with his original team, the Pittsburgh Steelers — Bryant caught a combined 21 passes for 322 yards and three scores.
Bryant was signed by Toronto and Edmonton in the CFL but never appeared in a game. He also spent time in multiple minor leagues, including in 2023 with Vegas in the XFL.
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