Veteran WR Martavis Bryant is signing with the Washington Commanders

In 2024, the Washington Commanders are entering a new era. The team parted ways with head coach Ron Rivera this offseason. To replace him, they hired the former Falcons head coach from 2015-2020, Dan Quinn. After a rough 2023 for Washington, they had the #2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. After the Bears selected Caleb Williams first overall, the Commanders drafted LSU QB Jayden Daniels. 

This past weekend, the Commanders fell short in their opening preseason game vs. the Jets. On Saturday, August 17, the team will be in Miami to face the Dolphins in the second preseason contest. Today, the team announced they’ve released kicker Ramiz Ahmed and signed WR Martavis Bryant. The veteran WR is still trying to make it back onto the field for an NFL regular season game for the first time since 2018.

Does Martavis Bryant have the chance to make the Commanders’ 53-man roster in 2024?

We have made the following roster moves:
— Signed WR Martavis Bryant
— Released K Ramiz Ahmed pic.twitter.com/HKXdBG3WlR

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 13, 2024

To start his NFL career, Martavis Bryant was a fourth-round pick by the Steelers in 2014. Early on, Bryant was dealing with multiple instances of violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It was mainly for marijuana. The league forced Bryant to miss the entire 2016 season with the Steelers. He did play in 2017 for Pittsburgh but was traded to the Raiders ahead of the 2018 season. Bryant played in eight games for the Raiders in 2018 and made two starts. However, Bryant received an indefinite suspension from the NFL after his 2018 campaign.

The WR spent time in several other professional football leagues including the CFL, the Indoor Football League, and Fan Controlled Football. Last season, Bryant played in the XFL for the Vegas Vipers and eventually signed with the Dallas Cowboys. He spent the remainder of the 2023 season on their practice squad. Now, Bryant is getting what could be his final shot to make a return to the NFL again. The odds are certainly stacked against him with his last NFL playing time coming five seasons ago. At 32, Bryant is a veteran WR looking to make the Commanders roster. Washington has plenty of young WR talent including Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Dyami Brown, and rookie Luke McCaffrey. It will be an uphill battle for Bryant to make the 53-man roster with Washington.