Prior to the NFL trade deadline this during the 2017 campaign, there was some chatter surrounding veteran wide receiver Martavis Bryant of the Pittsburgh Steelers possibly being on the move. Ultimately, no trade was made even though all signs pointed to the Steelers parting ways with the talented wide receiver.
However, nothing truly came about from it with the Steelers keeping ahold of Bryant while he voiced his desire to remain with the team for the long haul. This dialogue has once again risen with a rumor floating around that the 26-year-old has received interest from a few other teams around the league with the Miami Dolphins at the forefront of that.
Although there isn't any true validity to this being the case, it does bring up the question of where Bryant stands long-term with the franchise as he has one year left on his rookie four-year, $2.6 million deal that is worth $705,000 for the 2018 season. These rumors involving the Dolphins have already been quickly shot down as Steelers.com reporter Bob Labriola responded in a live chat stating “No. Not even a little bit.”
Following a one-year suspension due to violating the league's substance abuse policy, Bryant put together a productive 2017 season by hauling in 50 catches on 84 targets for 603 receiving yards with three touchdowns. This includes six games with at least four catches while topping 60 receiving yards on three occasions. In his first three seasons, he has recorded more than 500 receiving yards in each year while hauling 17 total touchdowns over that span.
Bryant isn't a premier talent at the position, but he has shown to be a game-changing player behind his big-play ability. The presence of JuJu Smith-Schuster has also reduced his role in the Steelers' passing game, but he has remained a valuable part of the offensive game plan due to his speed and ability stretch the field vertically.
The Steelers should look to keep him aboard given that he's playing under an inexpensive contract next season. There is certainly room for that to change, but Pittsburgh is set on holding onto Bryant at this point in time.