Cam Heyward Advocates For Former Teammate Martavis Bryant's Reinstatement Following Drug Violations
With more relaxed restrictions on weed in the NFL, Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward is calling for the League to reinstate former Pittsburgh wideout, Martavis Bryant.
The Steelers vet advocated for Bryant's reinstatement, now five years removed from the NFL, on his "Not Just Football" podcast.
Hayward said that with society and the League getting more progressive with a green-friendly rulebook, guys like Bryant, 31, and ex-Pro Bowler Josh Gordon, 32, deserve a second opportunity.
After multiple weed-related suspensions, Bryant and Gordon ended up banned indefinitely by the NFL for years.
“You look at guys like Martavis Bryant, and you look at Josh Gordon, and you see that the rules of the NFL have changed,” Heyward said.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant (Photo by Mark Alberti/ Icon Sportswire)
Should NFL's Looser Weed Guidelines Allow For Players To Return?
He added, “If those things had changed before, those guys wouldn’t be out of the league. Those guys can play in the NFL. They’ve proven that. Let’s see if they can continue to do it, and they work their way back up.”
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Bryant, 31, and Gordon flashed major potential as top wideouts on their respective teams. Too bad drugs cut their potential short.
Bryant proved to have an elite skillset as a deep-ball receiver for the Steelers. Lauded for his size (6-foot-4) and speed (4.42s 40-yard dash), Bryant was destined to emerge as part of the Steelers until strict punishment kept him out of the year indefinitely.
Since getting booted from the NFL, Bryant has played in the Canadian Football League and XFL.
In 2013, ex-Browns wideout Josh Gordon led the league in receiving yards with 1,646.
“I don’t like being the judge, jury and executioner saying a guy can’t play in the NFL after he’s played in the XFL,” Heyward added. “It’s not there to die. They’re there to expand. They’re there to keep the game growing.
“…It doesn’t just have to be from college to the NFL. It could be from XFL to the NFL or it could be from flag football or rugby. The more you continue to just have different avenues of where football can come from, the more it’s gonna continue to better your game.”
Bryant played his final game in 2018 with the then-named Oakland Raiders. The former fourth-round pick applied for reinstatement in 2019 with no success.
Do Bryant and Gordon deserve second chances?