It might have been easy to forget about Austin Bryant. The defensive end was placed on injured reserve right at the start of the season and was not activated until late November. His selection in the fourth round of the NFL draft out of Clemson was overshadowed by the addition of Trey Flowers and re-signing of Romeo Okwara in the same position.
As injuries have ravaged the team upfront—Flowers and defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand have both dealt with injuries this season and Damon Harrison Sr. was injured in Week 12 as well—Bryant’s return to action could not have come at a better time.