PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are willing to help wide receiver Martavis Bryant through his problems.
Bryant, who faces a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy after multiple failed drug tests over marijuana use, faces issues that go beyond football, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.
"We're in the process of working out a plan and what's appropriate for him the individual, not the player," Tomlin said. "I think that's an element of this we need to keep in perspective as we move forward with him.
"He has issues that he's dealing with that are bigger than football. We're committed to assisting the man in that."
Bryant, who entered the NFL in 2014, will meet with Tomlin on Friday to discuss avoiding mistakes in the future.
"I made a mistake," Bryant said. "I own up to my mistake. I want to move past it and get better.
"I embarrassed myself. I embarrassed my family. I embarrassed my team. ... [I can improve] by doing the right things, learning from what I did and making sure it never occurs again."
The Steelers were not surprised by the news, as they drafted receiver Sammie Coates in the third round to help with receiver depth.
Still, they are disappointed that Bryant "let his teammates down, this organization down, his family and friends," Tomlin said.
Bryant can return after the Oct. 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He will not get paid for the four games missed, but he can attend meetings with teammates during the week. He can't participate in any on-the-field activities.
Steelers star receiver Antonio Brown acknowledged being disappointed in Bryant.
"Personally, yeah, I am [disappointed]," Brown said. "He's got a lot of talent. We want him to be the guy we know he can be.
"I tell Martavis all the time, it's all about who you have around you. You need people around you who are going to bring you up."