National Football League

Cowboys reportedly sign WR Martavis Bryant after NFL reinstates him from 5-year ban

Published Nov. 7, 2023 6:10 p.m. ET

The Dallas Cowboys are turning to a player looking to make his NFL comeback to help out with their depth at wide receiver.

Martavis Bryant has agreed to a deal with the Cowboys, The Athletic reported Tuesday. Bryant's deal with the Cowboys comes on the heels of the news that the NFL reinstated him from the indefinite suspension he received in 2018.

The receiver violated the terms of his conditional reinstatement from 2017 after he served a year-long suspension in 2016, causing the league to suspend him indefinitely in December 2018.

Now 31, Bryant will try to replicate the solid numbers he put up before his indefinite suspension. He had 50 receptions for 765 yards and six touchdowns with the Steelers in 11 games during the 2015 season. He had 50 receptions again in 2017, posting 603 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns in his last full season in Pittsburgh. He had 19 receptions for 266 yards with the Raiders in 2018, playing just eight games before his suspension.

Bryant signed with two different teams in the Canadian Football League for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. However, he never played a single game with either team.

The Cowboys were among the initial group of teams to show interest in Bryant after he was reinstated by the league, hosting him for a workout earlier Tuesday.

"That's a big, strong, fast receiver that we'll certainly take a look at," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan of Bryant on Monday.

While the Cowboys aren't dealing with any receiver injuries at the moment, their production besides CeeDee Lamb has been less than stellar at the position. Michael Gallup is second among the team's wide receiver corps in receptions and receiving yards, posting just 22 catches for 243 yards this season. Offseason acquisition Brandin Cooks has struggled, recording just 17 receptions for 165 yards and two touchdowns for the 5-3 Cowboys this season.