Cowboys Re-Sign Ex-Star Attempting Comeback From 5-Year NFL Suspension.

At least for a little while, it was a heartwarming tale of redemption. Since his incapacity to manage his substance addiction issues led to a suspension, Martavis Bryant had been out of the NFL for five years. However, the NFL restored him in September, and in November, he signed a contract to join the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. But he never returned to the field, and the Cowboys cut him early this month.

For those hoping that the 32-year-old Bryant would successfully complete his comeback, it was a disappointment. However, things took a turn for the better last week when Bryant signed a Reserve/Future contract, which means he will return to the Cowboys for training camp, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

From Gehlken’s Twitter/X account: “WR Martavis Bryant left a significant impression on the Cowboys. According to a person with knowledge of the issue, he is anticipated to sign a Reserve/Future contract on Wednesday. Bryant was on the practice squad for several weeks prior to his release on January 4th due to a shortage of players.

8 TDs as a Rookie, Then the Suspensions Began

Bryant talked about his desire to rejoin the NFL following his fall from grace in December 2018, when

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ultimately suspended him indefinitely, when he arrived in Dallas in November.

Prior to that, he had a history of drug abuse-related suspensions, including ones that lasted the whole 2016 season while he was in Pittsburgh.

Bryant had been a fourth-round pick by the Steelers out of Clemson in 2014, and made an impact as a rookie in Pittsburgh, scoring eight

touchdowns on just 26 catches and averaging 21.1 yards per catch. He projected as a future star, but continually ran

afoul of league drug-testers. Tired of his unreliability, the Steelers eventually traded Bryant to the Raiders before his suspension.

The road for Bryant to get back to the NFL started first with sobriety, then with deciding whether a return to football was even possible.

“I went through a lot in those years I didn’t play ball, you know,” he said in November. “Getting down on myself, wanting to give up on football, but at the end of the day, I had to look myself in the mirror, face my own demons and get myself together.”

Cowboys’ Martavis Bryant Went to ‘Dark Places’

Bryant was asked where the suspension took him in the past five years.

“To places you can’t even imagine, man, some really dark places and times,” he said. “I really would not like to talk about it, you know, because I worked so hard to get through those moments. But it was a dark time for me.”

Once he got sober, there was more hard work to be done. Bryant got back into football shape in low-level leagues that were not NFL-caliber—the Arena League and the XFL. Bryant then had to clear a path to a return through Roger Goodell’s NFL office. That involved a trove of meetings, as well as a focus on his sobriety.

Bryant clarified, “I had to go through a process and do steps to maintain my sobriety.” “Hanging around with my advisor. completing the tasks assigned to me in order to demonstrate my change. I’m proud of the effort I put in, man. To begin with, it all began with the NFL. I had to undergo six months of testing, counselors, and fulfilling numerous requests.

He returned to the league, though, if only as a member of the Cowboys practice squad. But Bryant will have an opportunity to secure a spot on the 53-man roster this summer.

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