Pittsburgh Steelers: How valid are Martavis Bryant trade rumors?

One of the Killer B’s reportedly wants the Pittsburgh Steelers to trade him, and has told the team is much. But how much stock should we put in this?

Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Martavis Bryant has traveled quite the journey during his short tenure in the NFL. Whether due to injuries or suspension, Bryant has yet to string together a full season’s worth of production.

We’re all aware of the potential Bryant has flashed with Pittsburgh, and when on the field,he provides the team with perhaps the best 1-2 receiver combination in the league alongside Antonio Brown. However, that championship potential may never come to fruition for the Clemson product, at least not in a Steelers uniform.

After the Steelers big win in Kansas City in Week 6, reports came out of the woodwork that Bryant has been upset with his role on the team, and had requested a trade a few weeks into the season. The rumors have been reported NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who took to his twitter account to break the news.

The reports were also confirmed to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, while sources within the organization also said the team does not currently have any plans to trade Bryant. The trade request comes as a surprise to many, especially in regards to the timing of the reports after the Steelers moved to 4-2 on the year.

As we reside in times where we are able to use “he said/she said” and dub them as sources, it’s hard to make any report credible without a name attached to what’s being claimed. However, does Martavis Bryant really want out of Pittsburgh?

Often times concerning trade requests or any general displeasure a player has behind the scenes, a player will remain silent and choose not to make any public comment. Late into Sunday night, Bryant had an interesting choice of words for social media:

Bryant’s comments can be construed on either side of the fence you choose to stay. One could interpret his comments as him trying to quiet the talk around it, as he never fully said the reports were false or denied any part of them. On the other side, Bryant points out that he is happy to be in Pittsburgh and plans on being with the team to make a championship run.

We can attempt to decipher 140 characters all day, but the fact is, where there is smoke, there is fire. It’s no secret Bryant is actively advocating for the getting the ball more, and perhaps rightfully so. The lack of involvement has indeed been one of many storylines in regards to the Steelers’ offensive performance.

There’s also a good chance that Bryant isn’t willing to play second fiddle to Brown for much longer, with 2018 being the final year of his contract and the Steelers not likely to offer the big dollars a top receiver would seek after their original rookie contract.

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With this story just emerging into the light, expect more details to emerge. Are these reports legitimate? Media members are almost willing to swear up and down by their sources, while fellow players such as William Gay and Le’Veon Bell have come to his defense, calling it “false buzz”.

Historically the Steelers are conservative in their actions, and would surprise most if they dealt Bryant in the middle of the season. However, as we have seen, 2017 has been a season of many surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant.