Would Russell Wilson at quarterback mean more playing time for Roman Wilson?
Pardon me while I engage in a game of Wilsons, one we haven’t had to encounter for the past month and a half or so. Pittsburgh Steelers rookie WR Roman Wilson made his NFL debut last week while Russell Wilson waits. He played all of five snaps, only one of which called for him to run a route. The third-round draft pick has been persona non grata so far this season, but could Russell Wilson change that?
Wilson is a more dynamic passer than Justin Fields, and he spreads the ball around more. So far this season, the Steelers’ passing chart hasn’t been very dynamic. George Pickens accounts for 44 targets, Pat Freiermuth another 26, Najee Harris another 19. Somewhat surprisingly, Calvin Austin III does have 17. But surely there are some targets to go around for Wilson.
The Steelers have attempted the third-fewest passes per game so far this season. Justin Fields is no small part of the reason why that is. While Russell Wilson isn’t necessarily a volume passer, they would certainly throw more with him. And that would mean more opportunities for wide receivers—perhaps Roman Wilson.
Granted, even if Roman Wilson does start playing more with Russell Wilson, it will be partly coincidental. The rookie missed almost all of training camp and all of the preseason. It took a few weeks into the regular season before he was healthy enough to even be in consideration to dress and play.
He finally did dress last week, as we know, but the Steelers had no pressing need to use him. Now that Wilson has his feet wet, though, it’s not unreasonable to predict a gradual increase in opportunity. Five snaps last week, perhaps 10 and a target or two this week, regardless of quarterback.
Or, perhaps, Roman Wilson doesn’t even dress. The Steelers have some guys returning from injury, so coming up with inactives won’t be easy. If they want to improve their passing game, however, they have to do something. Even if it isn’t throwing to Roman Wilson, there are a bunch of other guys they can use more. Like the tight end they paid a bunch of money to.
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.
