Steelers WR Martavis Bryant facing 4-game suspension, could miss 49ers game

The San Francisco 49ers face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, with Pittsburgh already missing running back Le'Veon Bell (suspension) and center Maurkice Pouncey (injury). It apparently might get a little worse for the Steelers. Adam Schefter is reporting Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant is facing a 4-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Schefter reported the suspension is currently under appeal, which means it is not yet finalized. My guess is we find out the resolution sometime between now and Week 1. Even if reduced to two games, Bryant would still miss the Week 2 matchup.

His absence would be another tough blow for a Steelers offense that came into this season with high hopes. They still have Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton, as well as DeAngelo Williams in place of Bell, but they are losing some potentially key pieces to their offense. I think they'll still manage to do enough on offense, but the ceiling while these players are absent is limited compared to what could have been. They will get these players back over the course of the season, but they will face tough challenges early in the season.