Will Roman Wilson step up if Calvin Austin III misses time due to injury?
Steelers WR Calvin Austin III could miss time due to a shoulder injury, but will Roman Wilson step up in his absence? Through four games, he has just one catch for seven yards. However, the Steelers have not been using him—which itself raises multiple questions that are worth exploring.
Despite all the talk about how much the Steelers believe in Roman Wilson, he’s only played 44 snaps on offense. In fact, even with Austin’s injury on Sunday, he played just three snaps in that game. It was Ben Skowronek and Scotty Miller who played instead, but will they continue to play ahead of him?
First of all, we need a true, actual update on Calvin Austin, though I’m not sure Mike Tomlin provides one. As anybody who has followed the team knows, he tends to be as vague as allowable when discussing player availability. We can’t speculate about Roman Wilson’s role in replacing Austin until we know Austin’s timeline.
While Austin himself said he was “good”, he said that…from the hospital. A Gerry Dulac report indicated he could miss several weeks, which seems plausible. So far, however, we have no other word on his status, but perhaps that changes today. Regardless of Austin’s availability, Wilson’s usage has been a topic of conversation.
After all, Roman Wilson is a 2024 third-round pick. He missed most of his rookie season due to injury, but he seemed to have a strong offseason. Yet once the regular season began, he took a back seat. Not just because the Steelers use a lot of two-tight end sets, but because other wide receivers are commanding different roles.
Wilson did log 22 snaps in Week 2 against the Seahawks, during which he made his one catch. A week after that, he played nine snaps, and a week after that, just three. The Steelers vary their personnel from week to week based on their game plan, so who knows when he or anyone else might pop up.
If they need a No. 2 WR should Calvin Austin miss any length of time, however, one would hope that Roman Wilson is up to the task. After all, that’s why they drafted him, even if they haven’t given him that chance yet.
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. 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. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The 2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
