It has been a bit of a disappointing rookie season for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson.
Drafted in the third round out of Michigan, Wilson was expected to be a key contributor for the Black and Gold this season under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
But an ankle injury on the first day of padded practice at training camp in Latrobe at Saint Vincent College derailed his start to the season and had him trying to jump on a moving train after missing all of the preseason.
Once he was back on the moving train, Wilson made his Steelers against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 6, though he played just five snaps.
After that, things went off the tracks again. Wilson tweaked his hamstring in practice, missed the Sunday Night Football game against the New York Jets and was then placed on the Reserve/Injured list Monday ahead of Week 8 against the New York Giants.
He’ll miss the next four weeks, sidetracking his rookie season even further, which has many disappointed. For Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni though, he’s backing Wilson and said the Steelers are still counting on him this season.
“Roman’s been great in my room. I mean, just today he came up to me, ‘Coach, what can I do these next four weeks? Let’s lay out a plan for me.’ You know, watching film, getting extra JUGS on days off, things like that. He’s been great in that regard,” Azzanni said of Wilson, according to audio provided by the team. “The injuries, they’re tough on a guy that has a lot of expectations coming in as a third rounder. And not being able to be yourself and not being able to show off those skills is, that’s mentally taxing on anyone. And I feel for him that way.
“But at the same time, this is the NFL and he’s gotta be able to push through, and he has. I’m excited to see how he comes back off this injury, raring to go. He understands and we’re gonna need him down the stretch. So, I’m pleased with mentality-wise where he’s at, and I’m gonna keep challenging him.”
The Steelers will certainly need Wilson down the stretch.
While George Pickens has made some big plays in recent weeks following the insertion of Russell Wilson into the lineup at quarterback, and Van Jefferson has stepped up too, not to mention Calvin Austin III, the Steelers still lack depth and talent at the receiver position.
They could theoretically address that before the Nov. 5 trade deadline and add a veteran receiver to help out from a depth and talent perspective. But there is some hope that Wilson will return down the stretch and give the Steelers a boost.
That’s probably asking far too much for a rookie who has just five snaps under his belt, no targets and has dealt with multiple lower-body injuries this season. But Azzanni is a believer, and likes where Wilson is mentally, even with all of the challenges thrown his way in his first lap around the NFL track.
“So, yeah, we’re continuing to monitoring that and what he can handle, what he can’t when he comes back, is gonna be part of our job as well.”
It sure would be nice to see Wilson get onto the field and have a role, providing production down the stretch as the Steelers push for the playoffs. But time will tell. That’s a big leap for a guy who has been behind the 8-ball all season.
He has the right coach in place though to push him and prepare him. Hopefully Wilson leans in on that and is able to have an impact late in the season for the Black and Gold.
