Bryant wants to make most of role
“It is what it is,” said Bryant, when asked if he has had to adjust to his role this season. “I’m not complaining. I know my potential and what I can do. The little bit I get, whatever I get, I just have to make the best of it. Everything else isn’t in my control.”
Big things were expected this season from Bryant, who had productive seasons in 2014 and 2015 before missing all last season on a yearlong suspension for violating the league’s drug policy.
Bryant had 26 receptions for 549 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games as a rookie. The following season he had 50 catches for 765 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games. This season, Bryant is on pace for 45 catches and 616 yards and two touchdowns in a 16-game season.
Asked if he was on the same page with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Bryant said: “For the most part, yeah. Everything is going pretty good. We’re just trying to win. It’s a long season. I’m just trying to get better.”
Bryant’s trade request was leaked one week after running back Le’Veon Bell complained about his number of touches after a 30-9 loss to the Jaguars. Bell had 179 yards on 32 carries Sunday after running for just 47 yards on 15carries a week earlier.
It came two weeks after Antonio Brown’s sideline temper tantrum in Baltimore, when he had four catches for 34 yards. In the past two games, Brown was targeted 29 times and caught 18 passes for 312 yards.
Could Bryant simply have been getting in the complaint line?
“I have no control over that,” Bryant said. “That’s what those guys did. All I’m worried about is myself and what I can do to help the team win. As far as those guys go, I can’t worry about that.”
Bryant and his teammates joked on more than one occasion about the Sunday night report. Center Maurkice Pouncey said the team laughed about it on the plane ride the entire way back to Pittsburgh. The running joke Monday afternoon among the players was they all wanted to get traded to NBA teams.
“I thought he was talking about getting traded to the Cavs or something like that,” offensive lineman Ramon Foster said. “He was talking about basketball I think, especially with the contracts. You know NFL players get jealous.”
Then turning serious for a moment, Foster said: “It’s crazy. I’m saying this because we’re not going to feed into that anymore. That’s over, we crushed that. That’s done. That’s how I feel about this locker room, that’s not going to happen.”
Here are Bryant’s responses Monday to some other questions:
• On whether he thought his playing time and production would increase: “It’s not in my control. It’s up to the coaches and Coach Tomlin. You have to ask those guys.”
• On if he has expressed any unhappiness in his conversations with Steelers coaches: “No I haven’t expressed unhappiness. I just talked about some of the things that I can do better, and that’s it.”
• On his level of play through six games: “I feel like I’m doing pretty good with the opportunities that I’m getting. I’m just trying to get better and play hard. We’re winning so I’m not complaining.”