The Confounding NFL Journey for Ex-Husky TE Hunter Bryant
The NFL decided long ago, for whatever reason, it was going to make it hard for Hunter Bryant to become a valued member.
The former University of Washington tight end, after skipping the 2019 Las Vegas Bowl to protect his draft interests, went undrafted.
Signed by the Detroit Lions, Bryant pulled a hamstring muscle in training camp that kept him out for more than a month in 2020.
Ready to play again, the 6-foot-2, 245-pounder from Issaquah, Washington, suffered a concussion in practice that cost him another month and a half.
This past spring, Bryant, after suffering an offseason injury away from the Lions' training facility, forced Detroit, per league protocol, to release him and put him through waivers, for which he went unclaimed.
He's back on the roster while still listed on the NFL reserve list, which puts him in some sort of pro football purgatory at the moment.
Recognizing his talent level, the Lions haven't given up on a guy who came back from a pair of serious knee injuries to be named second-team Associated Press All-American. They initially installed him on the active 53-man roster and used him for 60 snaps over their final five games.
Against the Tennessee Titans in week 15, Bryant made his first and only NFL reception, an impressive 44-yard catch from since departed quarterback Matthew Stafford in a 46-25 loss. People replayed it over and over, intrigued by Bryant's size, speed and hands.
Once the season ended, the Lions cleaned house, firing the entire coaching staff and trading Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, while bringing in a new draft class that included former UW defensive tackle and teammate Levi Onwuzurike as a second-round pick.
Bryant couldn't readily take advantage of the new Detroit leadership and his Husky connection coming on board because of his injury.
A lot of people wondered why this guy didn't get drafted in the first place, with plenty of analysts calling him the best available free agent out there in 2019. Knee issues likely turned teams squeamish.
Once he's completed this trip to football limbo and back, Bryant will attempt to earn the Lions' No. 3 tight-end job. Practice alongside Onwuzurike again. Catch more long passes over the middle.
Nobody told the former Husky pass-catcher the NFL was going to be easy or make sense.
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