Good news came on the injury front for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo reported that rookie WR Roman Wilson is out of the walking boot he had been wearing after suffering an ankle sprain in practice on Tuesday.
Roman Wilson is out of his walking boot and not favoring his sprained ankle.
— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) August 4, 2024
Per The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo, Wilson is now wearing a brace or sleeve on his ankle.
Looks like Roman Wilson is out of his waking boot and is now in an ankle brace/ sleeve of some sort.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) August 4, 2024
Getting out of the boot is obviously good news for Wilson. While he still likely won’t practice for a bit, with Mike Tomlin calling him “week-to-week,” it’s a positive that Wilson only needed the boot for a few days.
Ideally, Wilson can get back on the field for at least one preseason game to give the Steelers a look at him against live competition ahead of the regular season, giving him a better chance to earn a role early in the season. As a rookie who got injured early in practice on the first day of pads, it might be tough for Wilson to get on the field much early in the year otherwise.
Ian Rapoport reported that the Steelers are going to be cautious with Wilson’s recovery, as the team views him as a big offensive piece. In a receiver room that’s pretty wide open behind George Pickens, Wilson is looking to establish himself as one of the team’s top receiving options, but the injury obviously affects his ability and chance to do so. If he can find a way back on the field sooner than expected without rushing back, it’ll be good news for him and for Pittsburgh.
We might hear more from Tomlin after practice today on Wilson’s status, and it’ll be interesting to see if he gives an updated timeline for when Wilson can expect to be back on the field. He’s still in a brace/sleeve so he clearly isn’t fully healthy yet. The Steelers won’t force him back before he’s ready but getting him back on the field before the regular season could make a lot of sense if he winds up being ready.
