Martavis Bryant drops appeal, accepts one-year suspension
Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant has dropped his appeal and accepted his one-year suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, the team announced on Monday.
Bryant, 24, was suspended last week for a second violation of the league’s policy. He was suspended the first four games of the 2015 season, but had his appeal of the ban upheld.
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“[Martavis] is at a crossroads of his professional life, and he needs to understand significant changes need to occur in his personal life if he wants to regain his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler,” general manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement Monday.
“We are hopeful that Martavis will take the necessary steps to develop the discipline in his personal life to become a successful player and a good teammate.”
The Steelers will likely look to wideout Markus Wheaton to start in Bryant’s place.
The 2014 third-round pick caught 50 passes for 765 yards and six touchdowns for Pittsburgh last season. He made a memorable touchdown catch in the 2015 postseason during a crazy win over the Bengals.
– Kenny Ducey
