Will Roman Wilson actually play another snap for the Steelers this season?
While a bit late for a Christmas miracle, the Steelers allowed rookie WR Roman Wilson to practice yesterday. The reality is, however, that it may mean little or nothing for the 2024 season. I personally doubt he will actually play again this year, but it gives him the opportunity to get back onto the field and practice, allowing him to accelerate into the offseason.
The Steelers have 20 more days to allow Wilson to practice before they have to make a decision. In case you were unaware, they may be entering their offseason within the next 21 days. That would put us well into mid-January, even late January, verging on conference finals.
Even if the Steelers win a playoff game, there’s still an extremely good chance they wouldn’t reach the point at which they would need to activate Roman Wilson from IR or shut him down for the year. That’s quite obviously why they timed his return now.
It’s extremely likely that Wilson has been healthy for some time. And they didn’t see the need to get him going while George Pickens was injured. Now that their wide receiver room is healthy, why should we think that he will suddenly play?
At the same time, that doesn’t mean he can’t or won’t play. After all, you never know when there might be injuries, and Roman Wilson may surprise with his prep work. He has had the past several weeks to grow in the mental side of the game. Right now, it’s just catching up on physical reps.
Of course, the shorter the Steelers’ season is, the less likely there will be a chance for Wilson to play. If the Steelers can’t make it to the Divisional Round, I think there’s virtually no chance of them activating him. And even if they were to activate him, he might not dress. With that being said, I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing him run a few routes before the season is over.
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. Is Russell Wilson earning a lucrative new deal next year, and is Justin Fields still in consideration? 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.
