Bryant again in trouble
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant (10) stands on the sidelines during the second half of a game against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 18.
Pittsburgh Steelers receivers Markus Wheaton (11), Martavis Bryant (10), and Sammie Coates (14) wait to run a drill during practice, Jan. 14, 2016.
Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant is facing a second suspension for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, according to multiple reports.
Bryant, who is entering his third season with the Steelers, was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season after failing several tests for marijuana. That placed him in step 2 of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, which prohibits the use, possession of or distribution of drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, opiates and opiods, MDMA and PCP. Players in step 2 also can be suspended for missing drug tests.
The latest infraction means Bryant is facing a suspension of a full season. He is expected to appeal. Bryant’s appeal of his last suspension was denied.
According to one of his agents, Bryant checked into a treatment facility to deal with depression.
“This is the biggest cry for help I’ve ever seen,” Brian Fettner told USA Today. “He’s 24 years old and he’s got to get right, whatever it is.”
Despite missing the first four games and a fifth because of a knee injury, Bryant finished with 50 pass receptions for 765 yards and six touchdowns.
Bryant spent part of his suspension in Houston, working with noted substance abuse counselor John Drew. At the time of his reinstatement, Bryant said, “I learned from it, and now I want to move on from it and put it in the past.”
The Steelers, however, weren’t so sure. Head coach Mike Tomlin admitted the Steelers spent a third-round draft pick last year on wide receiver Sammie Coates as insurance in case Bryant didn’t get his act together.
Coates played sparingly as a rookie, making only one catch in the regular season. But he had three receptions for 61 yards in a playoff loss at Denver when he was forced into action because Antonio Brown missed the game with a concussion.
The Steelers re-signed wide receiver Darrius Heward-Bey last week to keep him from becoming a free agent. Heyward-Bey started in place of Bryant during the latter’s suspension.