Steelers WR Martavis Bryant told reporters on Monday that he wants to return to Pittsburgh next season, even though he requested a trade last year, per Ray Fittipaldo.
Bryant explained that he doesn’t want to start over with another team and things improved for him in the second half of season.
In 2017, Bryant appeared in 15 games for the Steelers and caught 50 passes for 603 yards receiving and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 22 yards and totaled 151 kick return yards.
Bryant told ESPN’s Josina Anderson (per Jeremy Fowler) back in October that unless his role in the team’s offense changed, he wanted out of Pittsburgh.
“I just want to be happy, whether it’s here or it’s somewhere else. I just want to help contribute,” Bryant said, per Anderson. “I just want to be the best player that I can be on and off the field…and I want to be given the chance to be that. If it ain’t here then, so be it, then it’ll be somewhere else. But, I would like for it to be here, but if not, then oh well. Just got to move on.”
However, the Steelers ultimately held onto to him and it appears as though his outlook has changed in recent months.
Bryant, 26, was selected by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He’s entering the final year of his four-year, $2.7 million rookie contract and stands to make a base salary of $705,000 for the 2018 season.
Bryant was suspended for the entire 2016 season for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy and returned to the team coming out of the preseason last year. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 58 receiver out of 119 qualifying players.
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