After being a healthy scratch in Week 3 against the Los Angeles, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson hopes he’ll be able to make his NFL debut Sunday in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Though that is ultimately out of his control as who does and does not get a helmet on game days, Wilson is focused on one thing and one thing only in his preparation: how can he get better day by day?
Speaking with reporters Wednesday from the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Wilson explained his mindset and added that he’s hopeful he’ll get a shot to see the field Sunday in Indianapolis.
“Yeah, I hope so,” Wilson said of the possibility of making his NFL debut this week, according to video via Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker on Twitter. “Yeah, just same thing as always coming in here, how can I get better today? What can I focus on for tomorrow, and what can I learn from?
“That’s my mindset.”
That’s a great mindset to have for a young player. It’s been tough sledding for Wilson early in his Steelers tenure. After suffering an ankle injury on July 30 on the first day of padded practice at training camp, Wilson was sidelined throughout the rest of training camp and the preseason.
Though he’s been able to practice in full recently, including last Thursday and Friday, he hasn’t been able to crack the lineup, even at a position of need like receiver.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin offered him some advice on Tuesday during his session with the media, telling his rookie receiver to keep working and be ready for the opportunity. That opportunity should come soon, especially with Van Jefferson dealing with an eye injury and the Steelers needing a boost at the position behind George Pickens.
The difficult part for Wilson is that he missed so much time during the team-building process in training camp. Therefore, trying to get onto a moving train during the season is difficult and is taking a bit longer than expected for Wilson to get up to speed.
Not that Wilson sees it that way.
“Definitely not. Maybe a little weird being my first game…four weeks into the season, but no,” Wilson said of the challenges of jumping onto a moving train, according to video via Becker. “I’ve been with the team since I’ve been here. I’ve been locked in, been at meetings, doing everything I can possible. So no, I don’t really think so.”
It’s not as if he’s a new player trying to learn about his teammates, picking up the playbook and adjusting to his surroundings. As he said, he’s been with the Steelers since the day he was drafted. He’s been immersed in the playbook, went through the offseason with the team, and was unfortunately hurt in training camp, which kept him off the field.
The last few weeks Wilson’s been ramping up in an effort to get into the lineup. Maybe that occurs in Week 4 against the Colts. He’s certainly hopeful, but he has the right mindset taking it day by day, focusing on what he can control.
