AP

Something strange is going on with Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant.

In April, the league reinstated Bryant. He was immediately cleared to participate in the offseason program. As to training camp and the preseason, here are the terms of Bryant’s reinstatement, as articulated by the team: “Once arrangements have been confirmed regarding Bryant’s clinical resources in Pittsburgh, he will be permitted to participate in all preseason activities, including practices and games.” (Not “may be” or “could be,” but “will be.”)

Unless the Steelers were misinformed and the league never bothered to correct the the team’s comments, this should be a very simply proposition. Either “arrangements have been confirmed regarding Bryant’s clinical resources in Pittsburgh,” or they haven’t been. There’s no middle ground.

It’s possible that Bryant believes he has complied, and the league believes he hasn’t. But Bryant is backed by a billion-dollar business with every incentive either to convince the league that Bryant has complied or to figure out what he needs to do, and do it.

So where does it currently stand? Via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday that he has “no idea” when Bryant will be cleared.

Given the incredibly simple, up-or-down, yes-or-no standard for reinstatement, how could this be? It suggests that something more is going on here.

I don’t know that. I haven’t heard that. I wasn’t winking or nodding while I typed that. But common sense suggests that something has happened to complicate what should have been uncomplicated.