It’s getting late early for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Robert Woods.
Hopefully you can excuse the cross-contamination of sports, bringing a Yogi Berra-ism into the mix here. But if Saturday night’s preseason matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Acrisure Stadium is any indication, things are not going well for Woods, who signed a one-year deal a few days after the 2025 NFL Draft.
Against the Buccaneers, Woods played a position-high 24 snaps, seeing action late into the fourth quarter of the preseason. He was on the field with the likes of quarterback Logan Woodside, undrafted free agent receivers Max Hurleman, Roc Taylor, Ke’Shawn Williams and even journeyman veteran Lance McCutcheon.
That came after players like Scotty Miller, Roman Wilson and even Brandon Johnson had long since called it a night in the Steelers’ 17-14 loss.
Adding some insult to injury, Woods didn’t see a single target on a night in which the Steelers attempted 29 passes. Hurleman saw three targets, and even McCutcheon saw two in the loss. Woods didn’t see a single ball come his way though, despite playing the most snaps of any wide receiver.
That’s a tough look, and it’s making things more complicated for Woods to make the 53-man roster.
After the preseason opener last week in Jacksonville in which the 13th-year veteran had just one catch for six yards, the general consensus was that Woods was falling down the pecking order at the position. That belief was strengthened by the performance from Miller, who has had a great summer while turning in a good training camp and developing chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Yet, longtime Steelers reporter Gerry Dulac wrote early last week during an on-line chat with readers that Woods was a “100%” lock for the 53-man roster, raising eyebrows.
Of course, Woods could still be destined for the roster due to his toughness and blocking ability, something that the Steelers don’t have much of at wide receiver outside of DK Metcalf. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith might make the case for Woods due to his blocking ability in the slot, giving the Steelers the flexibility to run the football out of different formations.
But reading into the way things have played out in recent weeks, particularly Saturday night against the Buccaneers, Woods is very much in jeopardy of being sent packing. It’s not as if the Steelers have a financial stake in Woods either, signing him to just a $2 million deal in late April. Guys have emerged over him, and at 33 years old, Woods doesn’t have much left to give that younger options don’t.
He’ll have one more opportunity Thursday in Carolina, but things are not looking good for Woods and his future in the Steel City. Snap counts, production and wide receiver pecking orders tell the tale.
