The Pittsburgh Steelers may be without wide receiver Martavis Bryant for the 2016 season, as he is reportedly facing a full-season suspension for violating the league's policy on substance abuse. Bryant's agent, Tom Santanello, will appeal the one-year suspension, but this is not the first time that Bryant has had off-field issues, as he was suspended for four games last season for multiple violations of the league's substance abuse policy.
If Bryant is unable to return this upcoming season, head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Todd Haley will look for their entire receiving core to step up. Star wide receiver Antonio Brown is coming off another incredible season, recording 136 receptions for 1,834 yards, and he will need to continue to dominate on the field on Sundays next season with Pittsburgh down a receiver.
The Steelers re-signed wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey to a three-year contract that is reportedly worth $3.8 million, and Haley will look to both Heyward-Bey and wide out Markus Wheaton to step up as the second and third receivers at the beginning of the 2016 season. Heyward-Bey and Wheaton combined for 65 receptions for 1,063 receiving yards and scored a collective seven touchdowns last season.
While the Steelers will likely look to Wheaton and Heyward-Bey to pick up their production with Bryant's suspension, one player to keep an eye on heading into the upcoming season is wide receiver Sammie Coates. The Steelers selected Coates in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft and saw limited action during the regular season, as he only played in six games and recorded one catch for 11 yards.
The Steelers coaching staff reportedly raved about the young receiver's progress at the end of last season and played his biggest role in their last game against the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs, catching two passes for 61 yards. The Steelers wide receiver ironically drew comparisons with Bryant prior to the 2015 NFL Draft, and he proved himself a dominant receiver in the SEC in three seasons at Auburn.
Coates recorded 82 receptions for 1,757 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in three seasons at Auburn, and he could emerge as the third, or even second, receiver in Pittsburgh with strong performances both in the preseason and at the beginning of the 2016 season. Expect Haley to get Coates plenty of reps with the first team in training camp and during the preseason, as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator will want to see how much the young talented receiver has progressed since arriving in the NFL.
The Steelers have also acquired pass-catching tight end Ladarius Green to fill a glaring hole left by Heath Miller's retirement, and many expect the former Chargers tight end to excel in Haley's system. The Steelers have continually lived by the next-man-up mentality, and time will tell if Coates will emerge as the next young receiver to be catching passes from Ben Roethlisberger on Sundays.
