Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
The Steelers third preseason game would not have been the same without Martavis Bryant. Even though the Steelers lost, Bryant made an amazing 63-yard catch from backup QB Michael Vick which was also consequently Vick’s first throw. However, it looks like last week will be the end of Bryant’s receiving efforts until the fifth week of the regular season.
Bryant is facing a 4-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Bryant’s suspension is allegedly for marijuana use, but Bryant has decided to appeal his suspension to either get it reduced or have it gone altogether. According to ESPN, Bryant has already appealed and it is rumored that Bryant is looking for an answer in the next week or so.  After the game, Bryant spoke about the looming suspension and whether or not he saw it coming, “Honestly, no. I don’t really know what’s going to happen, so at the appropriate time I would talk about it, but right now I don’t know.”
Bryant was the Steelers fourth-round draft pick out of Clemson last year and he was a complete breakout star.  In his rookie season, Bryant appeared in 10 games and had 8 touchdowns, 549 receiving yards and caught 26 passes. Bryant was slowly becoming an irreplaceable part of the Steelers offense.  Along with Bryant, RB Le’Veon Bell is also set to serve a 2-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Without Bryant, the Steelers still have Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton. Brown is already a superstar, but maybe it looks like Wheaton will finally get a chance to breakout too. The Steelers also have rookie WR Sammie Coates who they picked up in the third-round of this year’s draft. The easiest solution for the Steelers would be to have Coates replace him until his suspension is up. Bryant will be eligible to play again on October 12th against the Chargers in San Diego.
