Report: As expected, Martavis Bryant not likely to be in Steelers lineup vs. the Giants

The Pittsburgh Steelers had to breathe a huge sigh of relief when news broke their “conditionally reinstated” wide receiver, Martavis Bryant, has finally been allowed to do more than attend meetings and workout at the facility, but he can now practice and play in games.

Despite this great news, reports are stating the team won’t be playing Bryant in their first preseason game against the New York Giants Friday night at Metlife Stadium.

Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, “Bryant is not expected to play Friday night against the New York Giants, according to sources. Coach Mike Tomlin can always make the call to play him, but multiple sources indicate he will dress but not actually play because he missed the first 11 camp practices. Most of those sessions were in pads.”

This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, considering Bryant hasn’t fully practiced since the AFC Playoffs in 2015, but you can’t fault fans for wanting to see No. 10 back on the field. They will just have to wait at least another week before getting a glimpse of the man they call “The Alien” on the field.

Only Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown were officially ruled out by Tomlin during his press conference this week, and, other than those who have had some injuries throughout training camp, all players who have been deemed healthy have a chance to play on Friday night.

Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest on the Steelers as they prepare for Week 1 of preseason play.