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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- 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."
But Bryant has a history of temperamental behavior, highlighted by his infamous jersey-throwing tantrum directed at Dallas coach Bill Parcells in 2004. He was sent to anger-management counseling by the Cowboys and eventually traded to Cleveland, where he had his first 1,000-yard season last fall.
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.
According to motor vehicle records, Bryant has three speeding tickets in the last two years, not including the weekend incident on U.S. Highway 101. Bryant refused a blood-alcohol test after being pulled over and again at the jail, which could lead to the revocation of his license.
Bryant was booked into the San Mateo County jail early Monday morning and released a few hours later on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 28, according to San Mateo County sheriff's Lt. Lisa Williams.
The NFL's potential discipline against Bryant could range from a small fine to a suspension, depending on "aggravating circumstances" and Bryant's prior history, according to the league policies on substance abuse.
Bryant had no prior criminal record. He was arrested in Pittsburgh in 2001 for using plane tickets purchased with a stolen credit card, though the charges were dropped when police determined the receiver hadn't known the tickets were illegally obtained.
Bryant was the third high-profile Bay Area athlete arrested on drunk driving charges this year. Oakland Athletics pitcher Esteban Loaiza was arrested in June after exceeding 120 mph in his Ferrari on an East Bay freeway. San Jose Sharks forward Mark Bell was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and felony hit-and-run after an early-morning accident during the Labor Day weekend in which he rear-ended another vehicle.
Former 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia pleaded guilty to drunken driving after being arrested in San Jose on January 2004. San Francisco released him six weeks after his arrest, though the move was made to get the club under the salary cap.
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