Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be without one of his best receiving options for the entire 2016 season, as Martavis Bryant has been suspended for all 16 games because of multiple failed drug tests. From the way it sounds, the suspension doesn’t bother Roethlisberger nearly as much as Bryant’s lack of honesty regarding it.
Roethlisberger recently told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Bryant, who was also suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season, blatantly lied to him.
“We talked a lot, every day during his suspension [in 2015] we talked,” Roethlisberger said. “And then, when [the second suspension] happened, we talked, as soon as the news broke I kind of asked him what happened. He said some things that were just kind of disappointing.
“I just think the approach, the denial of everything. Looking me in my eye and denying everything, it’s tough. It disappoints you as a man and a guy who cared so much about him. I obviously care a lot about him as a person and a football player.”
Roethlisberger says he has not spoken with Bryant recently, as he has given up trying to reach out after Bryant has ignored his messages.
“I kind of put it on his plate. I would love to talk to him, but I have to let him make the move, he needs to reach out to me because I’ve tried and done those things,” Big Ben said. “I’m not trying to be rude or mean, but I think he needs to do that, like grow up and reach out and talk to me, anybody. I know he talks to Markus [Wheaton].”
You can understand why Roethlisberger is frustrated. Between Bryant and Le’Veon Bell, two of the top weapons in the Steelers’ offense have missed significant time due to issues that were totally within their control. And if Bell is banking on this excuse to win his appeal, you know Big Ben can’t be feeling too confident about that one working out, either.
