The Pittsburgh Steelers have a dilemma on their hands and his name is Martavis Bryant. The disgruntled receiver has made headlines multiple times in the last week and the Steelers need to act fast.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for not putting up with antics from their players. Whether it be holdouts or off field issues, the team rarely lets a situation get to distraction level.
This is exactly what Bryant is becoming and it is happening quickly. The behavior he has displayed on social media and in interviews shows that he is a willing distraction and will make this all about him.
It started last Sunday after the Steelers’ win over the Chiefs. News then broke that Bryant had requested a trade according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport via his tweet:
Sources: #Steelers playmaking WR Martavis Bryant recently requested a trade. His teammates and coaches are well aware that he’s unhappy.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 16, 2017
Rapoport went on to say Bryant’s frustration with his role in the offense is the cause and he is ready for a fresh start. Bryant’s girlfriend then took to twitter ranting on about the reason for his wanting to leave.
During the practice week Bryant denied the rumors of him requesting a trade. He also took to twitter to say he was ‘happy to be a Steeler.’
Fast forward to Sunday evening and Martavis once again made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Before he could delete the comment, Barstool sports caught him in the tweet below bashing teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster:
After deleting it, he went on to say he wants JuJu to get his as much as he wants to get his own. He again became involved in another social media incident that reflects poorly on himself and the organization.
Mike Tomlin made it clear Bryant is not available via trade in his Tuesday press conference, stating, “We’ve invested a lot in Martavis since we drafted him. He’s not available via trade.” according to Aditi Kinkhabwala on twitter.
The frustration from fans is mounting, and rightfully so. Personally, I can see where Bryant is coming from but I do not at all agree with his means of handling it.
Bryant will need to figure out a way to better handle this situation moving forward. The Steelers are not willing to trade him and that is smart.
The team would likely not get much for the receiver. He’s been subject to two substance abuse suspensions, one for an entire season, and is one strike away from an indefinite ban.
Not many, if any, teams in the NFL are willing to give up much at all for a guy with these issues. Not to mention he is willing to be a distraction to his teammates.
Bryant wants his role increased and I get that but this is a terrible way of expressing that concern. With no trade in sight, Pittsburgh and Martavis will need to work together to make things work for now.
Next: Steelers can't move Bryant, shake up team
If things are not different soon, Bryant is as good as gone when his contract expires. One thing is for sure, if Bryant ends up playing out his contract, he needs to make the best of an unfortunate situation.