Niners won’t suspend Bryant in DUI arrest
Nolan defers to 'judicial process' after WR is charged with drunken driving
 Byline Title: Ho / AP | In this photo released by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is a booking mug of San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Antonio Bryant. |
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Receiver Antonio Bryant won’t be suspended by the San Francisco 49ers after his weekend arrest on charges on reckless and drunken driving.
Although the NFL could issue disciplinary action against Bryant when his case is resolved, coach Mike Nolan said Wednesday he will allow Bryant to keep practicing and playing. The 49ers (5-5) are on their first three-game winning streak in four years heading into Sunday’s road game against the St. Louis Rams.
“I’ll let the judicial process do its deal, because that’s the way it should be,” Nolan said. “It wasn’t something that he did within the building to this team. It’s certainly a distraction, and it becomes one that affects our football team. But we dealt with that, and hopefully it won’t distract us after today.”
Bryant was seen driving his orange Lamborghini more than 100 mph on a local freeway Sunday night. The fifth-year pro allegedly showed signs of drunkenness and became verbally combative after being pulled over, with officers forced to use leather restraints to put Bryant in their car.
Nolan addressed the issue when the team reconvened for practice Wednesday, but Bryant didn’t immediately make a group apology to his teammates. A team spokesman said Bryant was unavailable for comment shortly after he walked through the 49ers’ locker room deeply engrossed in a conversation on his cell phone.
Bryant leads the 49ers with 546 yards receiving on 31 catches in the first season of his four-year, $15 million deal. Until this discouraging arrest, the mercurial Pitt product had been a solid teammate and a dependable contributor as the No. 1 receiver in a much-improved offense.
“Antonio has been a great guy to have in the locker room and on the field, and this is an unfortunate incident,” quarterback Alex Smith said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a distraction.”
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Earlier this year, Bryant became visibly enraged when Smith failed to get the ball to him in a game against St. Louis. But the receiver has toned down his demonstrative on-field behavior since then.
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