Washington Commanders Sign Controversial Former Pittsburgh Steelers WR

The Washington Commanders make roster moves ahead of their second week of the preseason.

Sep 16, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Martavis Bryant (12) after the game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders are fresh off their first preseason game of the year after falling short to the New York Jets this past weekend. Some starters saw playing time, including second overall pick Jayden Daniels, but it was mainly the backups who saw the most action.

The Commanders will get their second preseason action as they head to Miami later this week to face off against the Dolphins. However, there is still much to take care of before heading south to Hard Rock Stadium. Washington began practice on Tuesday by announcing a couple of roster moves - releasing kicker Ramiz Ahmed and signing veteran wide receiver Martavis Bryant.

We have made the following roster moves:
-- Signed WR Martavis Bryant
-- Released K Ramiz Ahmed pic.twitter.com/HKXdBG3WlR

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 13, 2024

Ahmed was competing with Riley Patterson to be the team's full-time starting kicker, but it appears that Patterson secured that spot after Ahmed was released — unless the team plans to bring in another kicker to put pressure on him.

The signing of Bryant is a mysterious one as the controversial wideout hasn't played a snap in the NFL since he was suspended from the league indefinitely back in 2018 when he was with the Raiders.

Bryant's suspension from the league after his first few seasons stems from multiple instances of violating the NFL's substance abuse policy - mainly when it came to the use of drugs such as marijuana. Bryant's indefinite suspension from the league was lifted last November and he eventually signed on with the Dallas Cowboys and spent last season on their practice squad.

Now, with his past behind him, it seems that the 32-year-old wide receiver is ready to roll after putting together a good workout for the Commanders. It will remain to be seen what kind of role Bryant has on the team, but as training camp unfolds we will get a better understanding of how the team plans to implement him.

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