The ongoing drama engulfing the Pittsburgh Steelers and centered on disgruntled wide receiver Martavis Bryant doesn’t appear to be reaching a conclusion anytime soon.
Bryant told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he’s “got to move on” at the trade deadline if the Steelers don’t want him to contribute to the offense.
“I just want to be happy, whether it’s here or it’s somewhere else,” Bryant told ESPN about his position.
“I just want to help contribute. I just want to be the best player that I can on and off the field … and I want to be given the chance to be that. But I would like for it to be here. If not, then, oh well. Just got to move on.”
Bryant hauled in only one reception against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and then skipped a mandatory team meeting on Monday, due to an illness, refueling his trade stance along the way.
“By the end of whenever the trade deadline is … I mean if things don’t get better, then I got to go” Bryant reaffirmed.
“I feel like it is necessary for me to talk to everyone,” Bryant said in his conversation with ESPN.
“I mean, I’m going to sit down, and whoever wants to talk to me, I will talk to them and tell them how I feel. Ain’t no hard feelings; it’s just business.
“I’m just going to sit down and talk to everybody and see what we can get clear on. Like I said, I don’t want to go nowhere. I want to be here, but if they don’t want to use me and they don’t want to use what I am capable of doing on the field, then just send me on my way.”
Steelers fans have grown tired of Bryant and many fan pages are pleading with the team to get rid of him.
“There’s always a possibility that it can get better,” Bryant told ESPN. “I just have to to sit down and talk to my coaches. I just got to really, really sit down and talk to these guys and see what they want to do.”
“… I’ve been holding it in, and I ain’t been saying nothing to nobody. I just been keeping it to myself and just talking to my receivers coach every now and then about it, but it just keeps happening. I mean, I’m a team player. I’m not trying to act like I’m being selfish because I’m not being selfish. It’s just I want to help contribute, and I want to be the best player that I can be. I don’t like when everyone keeps saying that it’s like I am a rookie all over again, because I am not a rookie all over again, period!”
Bryant stated that is he isn’t traded he will simply play out his contract. What do you think the odds are that the Steelers trade away Bryant? I am sure there are sportsbook odds on which team will land him, if a trade is able to be executed.
“I feel like it’s going to come down to whether we make changes or not, whether they try to include me more or not,” Bryant said. “If they don’t try to include me more and continue to do the same thing, then I want out, period.
“So be it [if things don’t change and he isn’t traded]. I’m not going to re-sign. … I’m not tripping.”