According to multiple reports out of Pittsburgh dating back to the offseason, the Steelers are quite high on WR Roman Wilson. But you wouldn’t know that by looking at his stat line. QB Aaron Rodgers has only targeted him twice through four games, both coming against the Seattle Seahawks. And Wilson only has one catch for seven yards.
But the Steelers are almost assuredly going to be without WR Calvin Austin III Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Fellow WR Ben Skowronek said he heard that Austin “won’t be out too long” with the shoulder injury he suffered in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings. But what will the Steelers do in the meantime? Will they rely on Skowronek and WR Scotty Miller like they did after Austin went down? Or will Roman Wilson get some actual playing time?
“I think he’s going to get the opportunity, yes,” Steelers insider Mark Kaboly told The Fan Morning Show co-host Adam Crowley on Monday. “I do believe that one of the reasons why he did not come in against Minnesota was because it was an injury in-game. And they weren’t quite comfortable with him just jumping in at that spot right there. Now he’s going to practice Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday walkthrough in preparation for Sunday’s game. I think he’ll be a little more in-tune with what they’re looking for out of him.”
We all know that Wilson missed a significant amount of time last year due to ankle and hamstring injuries. But he’s been healthy all offseason and performed well in training camp. So why haven’t the Steelers used him more?
Perhaps it’s because the Steelers are also quite high on Austin. Austin is the second-most targeted player on the Steelers, only five behind WR DK Metcalf. And he’s already had half as many touchdowns (two) as he did the entirety of 2024.
Plus, the Steelers don’t spread the field out with three or more wide receivers all that often. They prefer to utilize their tight ends or jumbo packages instead. So, there haven’t been that many opportunities for Roman Wilson to see the field.
Perhaps Wilson will get his opportunity this week against the Browns. But this week in practice might be his biggest week of his career so far.
“If he doesn’t get his shot now, he ain’t going to get a shot this year,” Kaboly said. “I think Roman’s going to get his shot.”
Wilson had better take full advantage of practice this week. Otherwise, he may not get the chance to see the field much the rest of the season. And then we really need to have the conversation about Wilson’s future in Pittsburgh.
