The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely be without one of their star play-makers on offense for the opening preseason game, the Hall of Fame Game, against the Minnesota Vikings on August 9th. Second-year wide receiver Martavis Bryant is expected to be out for 7-10 days following an elbow procedure to fix an infection, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. This ultimately results in Bryant likely sitting out the Hall of Fame Game. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin said Bryant will miss "several days but not much more".

Nothing too serious

While any kind of procedure done to a star player is concerning, this doesn't look like one that will affect Bryant in the long-term. At least he had the procedure done now, so he would not have to risk further injury and the possibility of missing any meaningful games. The Steelers should be cautious, sit Bryant for the Hall of Fame Game and ease him back in next week. There is no reason to rush him back. He does not need many preseason snaps, and it was unlikely he would have played much in the Hall of Fame Game even without the procedure.

Bryant in competition to be the #2 receiver

Bryant is competing with third-year wideout Markus Wheaton to be the Steelers #2 receiver behind superstar Antonio Brown next season. Bryant only caught 26 passes in his rookie season but they were for 549 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging an incredible 21.1 yards per reception. 31% of his catches were for touchdowns, which is unreal. Bryant only played 10 games last season, starting in only three. For comparison, Wheaton had 53 catches for 644 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging 12.2 yards per catch. Bryant is more of a big-play receiver, and is a threat in the red zone while Wheaton is probably best suited for a role in the slot. With Bryant's great size (6'5") and speed (4.41 second 40-yard dash) he seems like the better bet to win the job. However, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said that Wheaton is their "breakout player" and is "the #2 receiver". Brown, Bryant, Wheaton, and rookie 3rd-round pick Sammie Coates (who's basically a Martavis Bryant clone with great size at 6'2" and unreal speed at 4.43 second 40-yard dash) make up arguably the best receiving corps in the NFL. Only the Green Bay Packers can make an argument to the contrary as they boast a trio of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams. Hopefully, Bryant's injury doesn't slow down what could be a huge year for him.