The first day of training camp practices kicks off tomorrow. And though Martavis Bryant will be with the team, he will be barred from getting back on the practice field.
In a statement released by Kevin Colbert moments ago, via the team site, he announced the league will not let Bryant practice or play until he is fully reinstated by Roger Goodell and the NFL. Here is Colbert’s full statement.
“Upon his conditional reinstatement in April, Martavis Bryant was made aware it was only the beginning of a process toward a return to being a full contributing member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. We have been informed by the NFL that Martavis is still in the process of being fully reinstated.
“Until that time, Martavis will be permitted to take part in off-the-field team activities at training camp, but he will not be permitted to practice or play in any games.”
The league has not issued a timetable for when they will reinstate Bryant fully, only noting at the time they will make a decision before Week One. In theory, that means he could go the entire preseason without taking a snap. I don’t think I have to tell you how asinine this rule is.
In addition to not having Bryant for some unknown amount of time, Sammie Coates is also sidelined while recovering from a knee scope.
