Pittsburgh Steelers: What the heck happened this weekend?
Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant (10) reacts during an AFC wild card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens game at Heinz Field. The Ravens defeated the Steelers 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
What’s the deal with Martavis Bryant and what’s next?
Steelers fans, take a deep breath. The good news is Bryant is only expected to be out a few days. However, he may end up missing Sunday’s Hall of Fame game.
More from Pittsburgh Steelers
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Kenny Pickett looks amazing going into year two for the Steelers
- 3 players the Pittsburgh Steelers gave up on way too soon
- Rest of NFL will regret letting Steelers land this steal of a rookie
- Steelers would be ideal landing spot for Caleb Williams, Drake Maye
The sophomore receiver underwent surgery to remove an infection in his elbow, but Tomlin is optimistic that he’ll be back sooner rather than later. Pittsburgh’s head coach also seemed to downplay the surgery when he said the team just exercised “a little caution and got it removed.”
So with Bryant out, Markus Wheaton is next in line to take reps at camp. Fans should be excited about Wheaton, especially after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said the second-year receiver will be the team’s breakout player this season.
Unfortunately, Wheaton also suffered his own injury and sat out of camp Sunday with a hamstring injury.
Ok… so next up would be Darrius Heyward-Bay, but the receiver who you should be keeping your eyes on is Sammie Coates. Coates has been working with the second string so far during camp, but with Bryant and Wheaton recovering from injuries, Coates has a shot to play with the first string every so often.
Coates has a similar frame to Bryant. The rookie is 3 inches shorter than Bryant, but they weigh 212 and 211 pounds, respectively. He also has the speed of Bryant, which can be a huge asset to this offense after fans watched Bryant average over 21 yards per catch and score 8 touchdowns last year. Out of the rookie receivers, Coates definitely has the best chance at getting face time with the one’s.
But that’s based on size. As a rookie, Coates still has a lot to learn when it comes to the playbook. He has time to learn before the season starts, but he better learn quickly if he wants to show his talents at the Hall of Fame game and fight for the number four spot behind Brown, Bryant, and Wheaton.
Keep an eye on Coates during this week of camp.
Next: Injuries, Injuries, Injuries