Martavis Bryant clearly wants nothing to do with playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers anymore, but is the wide receiver going to just stop showing up for work?
On Monday, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Bryant was absent from mandatory team meetings. One of Bryant’s teammates said the 25-year-old “called in sick.”
Martavis Bryant did not show up for required steelers meetings monday. "Called in sick" one teammate said
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) October 23, 2017
Bryant’s agent said his client was at the doctor on Monday morning.
Spoke to his agent Tom Santanello, who said Bryant went to the doctor this morning. https://t.co/FnTSgFYz0h
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 23, 2017
It would be unfair to accuse Bryant of lying before having all of the facts, but the timing certainly raises some red flags.
Earlier this month, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Bryant is unhappy in Pittsburgh and wants to be traded. Bryant later mocked that report with a pretty funny comment, but his actions since then have indicated that it was accurate.
Following Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Bryant criticized Steelers rookie wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in an Instagram comment that was later deleted. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler later spoke with someone close to Bryant who says the receiver “wants out” of Pittsburgh.
Bryant has been suspended multiple times for failed drug tests, and he could be facing another suspension now for conduct detrimental to the team. The Steelers have little chance of finding a trade partner for him, but an outright release isn’t out of the question.
