EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. _ Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant returns to practice Sunday for the first time since the end of the 2015 season and, with him, comes heightened, if not fanatical, expectations for the Steelers offense.
The last time Bryant was in the lineup, all he did was catch 14 passes for 183 yards and one incredible, somersaulting touchdown, and run three times for 84 yards in postseason games against Cincinnati and Denver.
Now, after being cleared by the league to return to practice and play in the preseason, the thought of having the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Bryant back on the field with All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown is more tantalizing than a Hawaiian vacation.
Bryant got a little taste of what it will be like practicing in pads with his teammates when he took part in pre-game warmups in Friday night's victory against the New York Giants. He was cleared to return just two days earlier by the NFL as part of his conditional reinstatement.
"It felt great to be back in stadium, period," Bryant said after the game, getting dressed near the other Steelers receivers in the locker room in Met Life Stadium.
Bryant was allowed to work out with the Steelers during offseason training activities and minicamp, but he was not allowed to participate in training camp until he had complied with requirements to set up out-patient counseling and treatment. He spent the first two weeks of training camp at Saint Vincent College working out in a shorts and catching passes from a team aide on an adjacent field.
"Honestly, I had nothing to do with that," Bryant said when asked about the sessions. "My agent, Kevin Colbert and Mr. (Art) Rooney (II) were talking to the league about it so whatever needs to get done they are going to make sure I do it. I'm just happy the process is going smoothly for me."
Bryant has one more step to take _ full reinstatement by the league for the regular season _ but Sunday is a big moment for him: He gets to catch passes once again from Ben Roethlisberger.
"I just got to get back to practice, back to work with my brothers, get better as a team," Bryant said. "Once the time comes we will see how good I am. Right now all I can do is worry about me and take care of my business."
The last Bryant played for the Steelers _ in the 2015 AFC divisional playoff game in Denver _ he caught nine passes for 154 yards and ran twice for 40 yards, despite heavy doses of attention from the Broncos' No. 1 ranked defense that didn't have to worry about Brown, who was out with a concussion.
If he is fully reinstated and can stay clean, the Steelers think Bryant is one of the best big-play receivers in the league _ a player fast enough to run past cornerbacks and big enough to win combat catches. Being on the same field with Brown only increases the grand expectations for the offense.
"I had no control over what was going on so all I had to do was work on myself and handle my business so when the times comes I will be ready to go," Bryant said of his training-camp inactivity. "The playbook hasn't changed; it's been the same since I've been here. I still remember mostly everything. Of course, when I get back to work I will learn everything over again and just get better."
The thought is tantalizing.
