Pittsburgh Steelers rookie WR Roman Wilson is unlikely to play against the New York Jets, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on X. It seemed to be trending that way all week, but now we have confirmation.
Wilson was the Steelers’ third-round draft pick but suffered an ankle injury on the first day of padded practice at training camp. That held him out of the rest of training camp, including all three preseason games, and he wasn’t able to get his first helmet on game day until Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
He suited up for the first time last week and saw five snaps on offense. It was a positive sign that he was finally going to start being worked into the offense. Still, that momentum suffered a setback when he was added to the injury report on Thursday as a limited participant with a new hamstring injury. He finished the week questionable after being limited on Friday.
The Steelers elevated WR Brandon Johnson from the practice squad on Saturday, which was a pretty strong sign that Roman Wilson would be unable to go. That ended up being the case. That will leave George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller, and Johnson as the available receivers against the Jets.
This is a difficult setback for Wilson, who now has to prove his ability to overcome yet another stretch of missed time and yet another injury. Soft tissue issues can linger, so he has to prove that isn’t the case. Fortunately, the bye week is coming up after these next two games. Maybe he will finally start to be worked into the game plan after the bye. The Steelers could certainly use the wide receiver help, and there is a lot to like about Wilson when he is available.
