Is the Steelers’ signing of Robert Woods bad news for Roman Wilson?
The Steelers have talked up Roman Wilson this offseason, but not since signing Robert Woods. They made it out of the draft without selecting a wide receiver but made the move for Woods shortly thereafter. Presumably, in consideration of the timing, they knew what they were doing. They likely even had previous talks with Woods’ agent about signing 12th-year veteran after the compensatory window closed.
But what does this mean for the wide receiver room in 2025? First of all, the Steelers signed Robert Woods for $2 million, which is a little more than a Veteran Salary Benefit contract. Now, it’s not a lot more, but it is still more. Does that mean anything? Not everybody is convinced he will even make the roster. And it would be borderline shocking if the Steelers didn’t carry Roman Wilson, in contrast.
So let’s get to the point: what does the Steelers’ signing of Robert Woods mean for Roman Wilson? Does it spell bad news, if not in terms of a roster spot then in playing time? Is it, perhaps angled more toward providing veteran leadership and competition?
Because the Steelers’ room is actually kind of full now, provided there are no exits. Right now, they have George Pickens, DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Ben Skowronek, Roman Wilson, and Robert Woods. And that’s not even including Scotty Miller or Brandon Johnson, both of whom played last season.
The Steelers are obviously not carrying seven wide receivers and may not even carry six. The special teams value of Skowronek and Austin, though, makes carrying six more palatable. And there is always the possibility that they jettison Pickens in-season. But what happens if Roman Wilson and Robert Woods are battling for a roster spot?
Well, the answer, obviously, is that it depends on what the Steelers see in training camp. If Wilson looks like he’ll contribute, he’ll be on the roster. They drafted him for a reason, and they didn’t even get to see it last year, primarily due to injury. Robert Woods is, I think, more of an insurance policy against the lack of development of their younger players. I don’t think they intend to just plug him into the No. 3 WR role, but they will do so if that is their best option. We’re talking about a guy who has 1,712 yards and seven touchdowns in the past four seasons.
The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While it looks like they are keeping George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The 2025 NFL Draft class is now in place, so most of the roster construction is complete.
But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. Certain will-he-or-won’t-he situations remain in play, which we continue to monitor. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.
