Roman Wilson is back at practice. Getting a helmet inside a stadium is a different story. Though his window to return opened Tuesday and he’s eligible to be activated at any point, including for the Steelers’ Saturday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, OC Arthur Smith didn’t commit to when or if Wilson would see action before the Steelers’ season comes to a close.
“I think you take it really week by week,” Smith told reporters via a team-issued transcript. “Hopefully we are playing long enough to where if it becomes an option, that’s up to Mike [Tomlin] and the trainers.
“I do like what the NFL has done with the expanded practice squad, the elevations, the return to play, the IR, certainly allows guys like Roman [Wilson] and Logan [Lee] and Cole [Holcomb], especially here at the end of the year, it gives you a lot of roster flexibility, and at worst, if the opportunity is not there, you get those guys practicing. So we’ll just see.”
Wilson had been sidelined for the past eight weeks with a hamstring injury following his NFL debut in Week 6. To date, he’s had more injuries (two) than receptions (zero) in what’s been a forgettable rookie year. His season got off to an ominous start, suffering an ankle injury during the team’s first padded practice of training camp. That sidelined him for the rest of the summer.
Wilson avoided injured reserve and returned to practice early in the season. Though his progress was slow and he became a weekly inactive, he made his debut against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. But he logged only five offensive snaps and wasn’t targeted as the Steelers built a big lead that allowed them to run 35 times.
A hamstring injury prevented Wilson from building on that debut. He was placed on injured reserve Oct. 28 and sidelined before returning to practice yesterday. The good news is he was listed as a full participant Tuesday and Wednesday as opposed to DL Logan Lee and LB Cole Holcomb, also returning to practice, who were limited.
Still, Wilson needs to improve his conditioning and missing big chunks of the season comes at a big cost. Not only in earning coaches’ trust but trying to carve out a role behind a group who has been practicing and playing all season. Clearly, the Steelers’ passing game could use a boost but it’s unlikely Wilson will be an immediate solution.
Based on Smith’s comments, it would be a minor miracle if Wilson was activated ahead of the Bengals game. At best, the Wild Card round is the more likely path. But even if Wilson returns, there’s no guarantee he makes an impact. In a run-oriented offense with a heavy rotation at receiver behind George Pickens, Wilson isn’t ticketed for a big role if he has one at all. The best he can do is maximize his practice reps and have something to build on for a sophomore year where he’ll look to stay healthy start to finish and carve out regular snaps.
