One of the big mysteries of the season for many is what has been going on with third-round rookie WR Roman Wilson. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been short on talent at wide receiver to the point where they have been reportedly involved in just about every wide receiver trade conversation since March, yet they still haven’t found ways to get Wilson involved.
“Roman Wilson, every time I see him in practice, he looks fabulous,” Steelers insider Mark Kaboly said via 93.7 The Fan’s Joe Starkey Show. “I mean, I don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors. I don’t know if it’s not in the book, the playbook. I don’t know if he’s limited in what he can run route-wise, but obviously something that he is not doing correctly.”
Wilson got injured on the first day of padded practice at training camp and wasn’t able to return to being a full participant in practice until Week 3 ahead of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was unable to get a helmet on gameday until Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, and then a hamstring injury limited him in Week 7, which led to another inactive Sunday for him.
Mike Tomlin was fairly blunt when asked about Wilson during his Tuesday press conference, saying he “needs to work” to be considered for playing time. This is obviously in reference to his availability with a new injury setback, but it didn’t make it seem like Wilson is close to being considered in the game plan.
“Watching him on the field, he looks like he’s one of the top three receivers out there every time I see him,” Kaboly said. “Physically, and out on the field, he looks good to me. He looks better than Van Jefferson, Scotty Miller, Calvin Austin [III] in my eyes.”
Kaboly stated his belief that Tomlin was a little more forward about a young player than normal in an effort to “get his attention.”
It is odd, because Wilson is a hard worker by all accounts and stated that he felt 100 percent and ready to hit the ground running several weeks ago. His availability can’t keep being an issue. If it wasn’t for the hamstring, he likely would have suited up again and naturally gotten a few more than the five offensive snaps he got in his debut. But now he is back to square one, and with the Steelers heavily linked to trade deadline rumors at his position. It could become even more difficult to find him snaps if they acquire another receiver.
At least it sounds like Wilson is looking great in practice, just like he was in the first four non-padded practices of training camp before the injury. He should be able to contribute at some point, but it is starting to get hard to envision when that might be in the 2024 season.
