Will Roman Wilson finally make his Steelers debut in Week 4?
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie WR Roman Wilson has practiced in some capacity all season. For the first time since his injury early in training camp, he was healthy enough to play last Sunday. The only problem is he didn’t play, head coach Mike Tomlin making him a healthy scratch.
Fortunately for the Steelers, they found contributions from other receivers, even with Van Jefferson getting Shemped in the eye. Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller, and even Cordarrelle Patterson all made plays, as did, of course, George Pickens. And Wilson could do nothing but watch them make plays, hoping that will soon be him.
It could be, assuming he continues to head in the right direction. He is presumably now past his ankle injury, practicing fully for three consecutive days spanning a full week. What comes next for Wilson is proving to the coaches he is ready to play, and then finding an opportunity.
Reporters asked Tomlin on Tuesday what Roman Wilson needs to do to get a helmet on Sunday. He responded simply that he needs to keep working, but what is it they need to see? Calvin Austin III is their punt returner, so he needs to dress. But do they need to dress both Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller each week?
The Steelers used a third-round pick on Wilson in the 2024 NFL Draft. He showed promise very early in training camp, but to short-lived excitement due to his injury. Since then, he has been playing catch-up, and Tomlin keeps the carrot well out in front on the fishing line.
Of course, the reality is we don’t know much about Wilson because we haven’t seen him—at all. Unless you were in Latrobe the first four days of camp, or are a reporter, you probably never saw him in uniform live. At least with Troy Fautanu, he made it through the first preseason game and played a half. Tomlin shoved him into the starting lineup, but Wilson continues to wait—increasingly impatiently, perhaps—for his shot.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is underway, following another disappointing year ending in a first-round playoff loss. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January. There are positive signs, but things could jump off the rails any moment.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Will Russell Wilson regain his job when he is healthy, or is Justin Fields stealing it? How will the team continue to address the depth chart, which is surprisingly still in flux?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
