When will Pittsburgh Steelers fans have the opportunity to watch Roman Wilson on the field? “We’ll see”, said head coach Mike Tomlin, if that might come this week. The rookie wide receiver injured his ankle early in training camp and only returned to practice days ago.
“That’s what the week of work is about”, Tomlin added, referring to Wilson’s potential availability Sunday in Atlanta. If he doesn’t dress, the Steelers will surely have to elevate a wide receiver from the practice squad. They only have five on the 53-man roster, but the practice squad includes veteran Quez Watkins.
A third-round pick out of Michigan, Roman Wilson isn’t the biggest or fastest wide receiver. He knows his craft, however, and isn’t afraid of putting in the work. He can play inside or outside, but he may translate best inside at the NFL level.
Certainly, that is where Wilson would fit best if on the field with George Pickens and Van Jefferson. The Steelers endeavor to make their receivers as multiple as possible, but some combinations make more sense than others.
As even wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni acknowledged, Roman Wilson was making noise early in training camp before his injury. It’s very unfortunate that he ended up missing nearly all of camp and the entirety of the preseason, as it leaves the wide receiver position as a whole in something of a state of uncertainty.
Had Wilson played throughout camp, and played well, looking like a starter, we would all feel a lot better now. Instead, we’re crossing our fingers that Jefferson is a solid No. 2 and hoping they can piecemeal the rest. All the while, we just have to hope defenses don’t figure out how to take George Pickens away.
But there is nothing you can do about injuries except wait for them to heal. Roman Wilson has been waiting impatiently to get back on the practice field, and he’s all but there. The Steelers will issue their first injury report of the year today, so we’ll see the extent of his participation.
If Wilson is participating in full, then perhaps there is a fair chance he can actually play Sunday. After all, the Steelers only have five receivers on the roster, which is hardly too many to dress. He can run around a bit and serve as a decoy even if he doesn’t start with a big role.
The Steelers drafted Wilson after trading starting WR Diontae Johnson earlier in the offseason. While they made a push to trade for Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers, they ultimately failed. They seemingly came fairly close, but the 49ers stepped up late with a big contract offer.
Now the Steelers have little choice but to wait for Roman Wilson and hope he can make a difference. Of course, they will also rely on the tight ends and running backs to contribute to the passing game more. But they and we will all feel a lot better for knowing that Wilson looks like the real deal.
