It’s certainly been an interesting week for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Already dealing with a significant injury to All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey, along with the overwhelmingly negative reaction of fans to the signing of Michael Vick, now the Steelers must deal with the loss of one of their top offensive weapons for the first four weeks of the season.
That’s because according to multiple sources, wide receiver Martavis Bryant has been suspended for four games for violating the leagues substance abuse policy. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first on the news.
Considering that players are given ample time (and warning) in relation to being tested for illicit substances banned by the NFL, this certainly is a knucklehead move by a player expected to serve an important role in the Steelers high-powered offense.
Where was Cris Carter to come to the rescue with sage advice for the second-year receiver?
OK, maybe leaning on Carter for words of wisdom is a bad idea in the wake of his “fall guy” comments — regardless, the poor decision making by Bryant puts the Steelers in a serious predicament heading into their season opener against the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on September 10.
Already dealing with the loss of Pouncey and the two-game suspension of Le’Veon Bell, the Steelers now face the daunting task of heading to Foxboro without a player the Steelers felt could make even more significant contributions than he did his rookie year.
Bryant had been showing all the signs that was going to happen this preseason, highlighted by a long touchdown grab against the Jacksonville Jaguars reminiscent of many of the eight TD grabs he had in 2014.
With Bryant out, the Steelers will lean heavily on Markus Wheaton to carry the load and play opposite Antonio Brown. The suspension of Bryant takes away a major strength of the Steeler passing game; the ability to have three quality receivers on the field at one time and with it, put extra pressure on opponent’s secondaries.
Replacing Bryant will likely fall on the shoulders of veteran Darius Heyward-Bey, who in his seventh NFL season has never developed into the talent he was viewed to be when he was picked in the first round the Oakland Raiders. This is a golden opportunity for Heyward-Bey, but the inexcusable fashion in which the chance has come falls squarely on the shoulders of Bryant.
Somewhere Bill Belichick is smiling at all of this good fortune. Despite of possibly being without Tom Brady for the season opener, not having to worry about Pouncey, Bell and Bryant should make life a little easier.
The first four-game stretch will be critical for the Steelers. After New England, the Steelers host the San Francisco 49ers, then travel to the St. Louis Rams before facing the Baltimore Ravens at home in their second Thursday night contest in four games. With a daunting season schedule that looks to be especially challenging after Thanksgiving, the Steelers need to get off to a fast start.
Adding Bryant to the growing list of players won’t help that cause, and Bryant has no one to blame but himself for letting both his organization and fans down.
