Raiders Fear Suspension Could Be Coming For WR Martavis Bryant

Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the Raiders fear the NFL disciplining WR Martavis Bryant could be imminent and there’s was “internal uneasiness” at the conclusion of the offseason program this week.

According to Gehlken, Raiders officials declined to comment on the matter, but they did acknowledge that the team is awaiting final word on the situation from the NFL.

Gehlken mentions that any discipline handed down to Bryant is likely to be related to the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

• Ian Rapoport says that there is some issue with Bryant, but it’s not clear if it’ll cause a delay, a quick fix via paperwork or a suspension.
• Jeremy Fowler reports that the Steelers didn’t know about any issues involving Bryant before they traded him.

Bryant returned to the Steelers last year after repeated violations that cost him the entire 2016 season. In the event that Bryant ends up with another violation, he could be subject to another year-long suspension or possibly longer.

Bryant, 26, was selected by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He’s entering the final year of his four-year, $2.7 million rookie contract and stands to make a base salary of $705,000 for the 2018 season.

The Steelers traded Bryant to the Raiders in return for the No. 79 overall pick of the third round this offseason.

Bryant was suspended for the entire 2016 season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy and returned to the team coming out of the preseason last year.

In 2017, Bryant appeared in 15 games for the Steelers and caught 50 passes for 603 yards receiving and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 22 yards and totaled 151 kick return yards. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 47 receiver out of 116 qualifying players.]

We’ll have more regarding Bryant as the news is available.