Pittsburgh Steelers WR Sammie Coates Has Unique Opportunity Following Martavis Bryant Suspension

When Vegas released their early favorites to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LI, the Pittsburgh Steelers were given 8-1 odds along with the New England Patriots.

The Steelers have a dynamic offense that can carry the team through the majority of the regular season and can realistically spot them a lot of wins based on that strength alone. With a young and improving defense, it was hard to picture them falling short of the 2017 AFC Championship Game.

The situation became a little more complicated earlier this month when standout receiver Martavis Bryant was suspended for a minimum of one season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It’s a huge blow for the Steelers who built the youngest, most talented offensive unit in the NFL.

Bryant played in 13 total games in 2015, grabbing 64 passes and accumulating 948 yards with seven touchdowns. Antonio Brown is obviously the featured target in that offense, but Bryant quickly became one of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger‘s favorite targets.

On the surface, it seems like a major setback for the team, but when you take a closer look, the Steelers have a lot of depth at the position. Second-year receiver Sammie Coates will have a unique opportunity to step into a really good offense and be a huge contributor in 2016.

The organization is very high on Coates, and he seems ready to step in and take a larger role in the upcoming season.

“Coach [Mike Tomlin] tells me you’ve got to keep working every day because you never know when your time will come,” Coates told Steelers.com when news of a possible suspension to Bryant broke. “I took that to heart. I was like, ‘I got to be ready in case I get called the next game or the next game.’ Because in this league, it’s a fast-paced game and a lot of people get hurt. You’ve always got to be ready.”

The Steelers brought back Darrius Heyward-Bey and also have Markus Wheaton returning to step into the No. 2 role in the offense. Bryant’s suspension is an inconvenience from a football standpoint, but it’s one the team is well equipped to handle.