If Roman Wilson has a strong season, Aaron Rodgers will have been a big part of it, on and off the field, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic believes. Assessing Rodgers’ exacting and demanding standards, he writes that Wilson is the greatest beneficiary. The 20-year NFL veteran has certainly talked him up enough, though has yet to connect on a pass inside a stadium.
“Perhaps the player who benefits most from [Aaron Rodgers’] approach is second-year receiver Roman Wilson”, DeFabo writes. “Early in camp, Rodgers was hard on the young receiver. After one practice, he walked Wilson through exactly how he wanted a stick route to be run. Through those early growing pains, Wilson has responded and started to show why the Steelers were excited about drafting him in the third round a year ago”.
Roman Wilson spent most of his rookie season on the Reserve/Injured list. After injuring his ankle on the first day of pads in training camp, he fell off the proverbial moving train. Even into the start of the regular season, he still wasn’t practicing fully. Eventually, he dressed for one game, playing a whopping five snaps. On only one of those five snaps did he actually run a route.
In the following week of practice, Wilson injured his hamstring and never played again. But in Aaron Rodgers this offseason he has found a considerable advocate. While DK Metcalf will be Rodgers’ chief target, he will find Wilson, too, if he’s open.
Whenever the Steelers don’t have 10 tight ends on the field, Roman Wilson will have his opportunities with Aaron Rodgers. He will have to contend with Calvin Austin III for playing time, but productivity should win out. After all, there’s a reason they drafted him in the third round. It’s not anybody’s fault that he couldn’t stay healthy in 2024.
If Wilson builds an on-field rapport with Rodgers, the Steelers will adapt and adjust his playing time. As much as Arthur Smith wants tight ends all the way down, he is adaptable. Rarely as a play caller has he had multiple viable threats at receiver. In those rare instances, however, both produced numbers.
Still, HC Mike Tomlin says that he has no concerns over a so-called No. 2 receiver. They have enough pieces, he believes, as to make a set hierarchy superfluous. Roman Wilson will play, as will Calvin Austin, and the tight ends and backs. And Rodgers is excited to have so many pieces that can do so many different things.
During the preseason, without Rodgers, Wilson caught four passes for 96 yards. The Steelers played him sparingly, only with the starting unit, but apparently felt they’d seen enough. They are reportedly excited about what he can do, but we’re all still just waiting to see it for ourselves.
