Steelers WR Martavis Bryant Cleared to Participate in All Preseason Activities
Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant has been cleared to participate in all preseason activities but his status for the regular season remains undetermined, the league announced Wednesday.
Before Wednesday, Bryant was "conditionally reinstated," a status that allowed him to participate in essentially all activities except for practice. The full preseason clearance will allow Bryant to practice with the team and play in the Steelers' preseason games, the first of which is at the Giants on Friday.
Martavis Bryant Will Take the Steelers to the Super Bowl. Or Spoil Their Season. Again.
Bryant has not played in an NFL game since Pittsburgh's 23-16 loss to the Denver Broncos in the 2015 AFC divisional round. Bryant was suspended for the entirety of the 2016 season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. He was also suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season for violating the policy.
Bryant is required to continue to attend counseling in order to be fully reinstated, something he has continued to do, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. There's belief that this is a major step toward Bryant being able to play in Week 1. The league will likely revisit his case before the Steelers' season opener, and there's a good chance he'll be allowed to play if he continues his to fulfill his off-field requirements.
Bryant was a fourth-round pick out of Clemson in the 2014 draft. He particularly emerged as a weapon for Ben Roethlisberger in 2015 , posting 50 receptions, 765 yards and 6 touchdowns despite missing the first four games.
