There was a report from Monday that the Pittsburgh Steelers had drafted wide receiver Sammie Coates in the third-round of the 2015 NFL Draft because they had been aware of the failed drug tests and impending four-game suspension for pass-catcher Martavis Bryant "at least as far back as the spring." Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed the veracity of this report on Tuesday, indicating that Bryant's suspension did not come as a surprise and that the team was looking to hedge their bets when they selected Coates.
"We're in the process of working out a plan and what's appropriate for him the individual, not the player," Tomlin said, via Chris Bradford of TimesOnline.com. "I think that's an element of this we need to keep in perspective as we move forward with him. He has issues that he's dealing with that are bigger than football. We're committed to assisting the man in that.
"We're just going to deal with it the best we can. Again, [we're] disappointed. Disappointing not only for him on a personal level, but he let his teammate down, this organization down, his family and friends and, obviously, Steelers Nation. But we stand behind him as he takes the necessary actions to move forward."
Bryant, per Bradford, would have had to fail multiple drug tests in order to receive the suspension that he did. Considering the former Clemson standout has only been a member of the NFL brotherhood since April 2014, that's a lot of tests to fail in a very short amount of time. It sounds like the Steelers are very concerned over his NFL future and will be taking steps to ensure Bryant gets the help he needs.
"We're in the process of working out a plan and what's appropriate for him the individual, not the player," Tomlin said, per Bradford. "I think that's an element of this we need to keep in perspective as we move forward with him. He has issues that he's dealing with that are bigger than football. We're committed to assisting the man in that."
