Getty Former Raiders WR Martavis Bryant.
Against all odds, Martavis Bryant is making an NFL comeback. The former Raiders wide receiver has been out of the league since 2018 due to an indefinite suspension.
It was recently revealed that he was attempting a return to the NFL and he now has a team. According to a November 7 X post from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Bryant is signing with the Dallas Cowboys.
Breaking news in the NFL: The Dallas Cowboys are signing newly-reinstated wide receiver Martavis Bryant to a contract, according to sources. Bryant, who last played for the Raiders in 2018, had 17 touchdowns and 2,183 receiving yards in 44 career games.
The Cowboys had given him a workout previously and must’ve been impressed with what they saw. Bryant is 31 now but has been playing football. He was most recently a member of the Vegas Vipers of the XFL but has also played in CFL, NAL and FCF. He’s committed to playing football but his suspension made it to where he couldn’t play in the NFL.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reinstated the wide receiver recently and now he has his best chance yet at playing NFL games again. However, he’s starting on the Cowboys’ practice squad so there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to play in games. He still has some work to do to get promoted to the active roster.
Dallas Cowboys Need WR Help
The Cowboys have one stud wide receiver in CeeDee Lamb. He’s fifth in the NFL with 824 receiving yards. However, the team isn’t getting much else from their wide receivers. Michael Gallup has just 243 receiving yards and Brandin Cooks hasn’t been much better with only 165 receiving yards.
Martavis Bryant previously had three seasons with over 500 receiving yards but that was over five years ago. It’s difficult to imagine he’ll be the savior for the Cowboys’ wide receiver corps but it’s a low-risk addition for the team to make. Bryant is 6-foot-4 and runs a 4.42 40-yard dash. If he still has that speed, he could be a dangerous deep ball threat. His size and speed make him difficult to cover. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets a chance to play this season.
Las Vegas Raiders Bring Back WR Kristian Wilkerson
The Raiders have been able to stay very healthy at wide receiver this season so it’s been difficult for players lower on the depth chart to make an impact. Kristian Wilkerson was active for two games this season but didn’t make a single catch.
Following the firings of head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, Wilkerson was released. His time in free agency didn’t last long, though. The Raiders announced on November 5 that the wide receiver is being brought back on the practice squad.
We have signed WR Kristian Wilkerson to the practice squad.
Additionally, we have released LB Austin Ajiake and LB Isaac Darkangelo from the practice squad.
Wilkerson is a player with former Patriots ties but he knows the system well and could be an option to get promoted to the active roster should there be an injury. The Raiders’ offense has struggled all season prior to Week 9 against the New York Giants. With new play caller Bo Hardegree getting more comfortable, it’s possible the offense will start scoring a lot more points.
The Raiders have a very strong wide receiver corps headlined by Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Renfrow. However, none of the three are having great statistical seasons. Rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell played well against the Giants and if he keeps getting better, the offense could be very good the rest of the way.
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Former Raiders WR Signs With Cowboys After 5-Year Suspension