Hines Ward on Ben Roethlisberger-Martavis Bryant flap: ‘Sometimes things aren’t made to be out there in the public’

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant has been looking forward to his heart-to-heart talk with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but former Steeler receiver Hines Ward doesn’t think the matter should have ever gone public in the first place.

Ward thinks Roethlisberger, with whom he played from 2004 to 2011, would have been better served not going to the media with critical comments he made about Bryant after the receiver was suspended for all of last season for violating the NFL’s drug policy.

‘The fact that Ben put it out there, now it’s a story, so hopefully you just don’t need distractions like that’

Bryant, who has yet to be reinstated, is on record as saying he wants to sit down with Roethlisberger because he didn’t agree with some of the things the quarterback said about him. Roethlisberger said he would be happy to meet with Bryant, but Ward thinks the whole thing should have remained private.

“I just think for players, sometimes things aren’t made to be out there in the public,” Ward told Vic Carucci and Dan Leberfeld on Press Coverage. “Some players take offense to that, because now that could have easily been discussed behind closed doors and stuff like that. But the fact that Ben put it out there, now it’s a story, so hopefully you just don’t need distractions like that.

‘Hopefully, something will get resolved from it’

“You learn how to sit down and discuss it and handle your business not going through the media or anything, just handle it behind closed doors. So, hopefully, something will get resolved from it.”