Roman Wilson fell out of favor hard late last season, but can he redeem himself in the eyes of the Steelers’ new coaching staff? While many believe his playing time had to do with QB Aaron Rodgers and OC Arthur Smith, Ray Fittipaldo doesn’t see that as an excuse. Especially since Rodgers seems likely to return, it’s on Wilson to step up and show he belongs behind the scenes.
A third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Roman Wilson had a lost rookie season due to injury. Last year, he played sporadically initially, then seemed to trend toward a WR No. 3 role. Suddenly, as the Steelers added experienced veteran wide receivers, he found himself on the bench, not even dressing for games.
“I did notice the QB and the OC were not happy with his professionalism”, Fittipaldo wrote of Roman Wilson in a recent chat session for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “The OC is gone, but the QB probably is back. It’s up to Wilson to become more of a pro. I think he’s trying, but he has to produce at some point”. He continued, “I don’t think he’s a bad apple or anything like that. I just think he’s one of those guys where it comes slow for him”.
The OC is, of course, Arthur Smith, and the QB is Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers spoke highly of Wilson publicly, but not without criticism. When Smith spoke of him, he did so cautiously. After catching some touchdowns, he said he saw Wilson “slowly but surely” making more plays.
Over a five-game span in Weeks 7 through 11, Roman Wilson logged 146 of his 253 snaps on the season. In those five games, he caught 10 passes on just 14 targets for 147 yards, including 2 touchdowns. He had an incredibly stupid fumble late in the game against the Colts, and he did play a little less the next week. But he saw a career-high 37 snaps in the game following before his role declined for good.
After the Steelers claimed Adam Thielen off waivers, they promoted Marquez Valdes-Scantling from the practice squad and sent Wilson to the bench. He only dressed for one more game in Week 16, and that was due to injuries. He played nine snaps but did not draw a target.
Roman Wilson clearly has talent, with solid speed and nuance to his routes. He has sufficient hands, and when he’s on the same page, he can look like the real deal. At least from what we’ve read, however, it doesn’t sound like the Steelers have seen that side of him often enough in practice, and perhaps in the classroom, as well.
But with Thielen retiring and Calvin Austin III, Scotty Miller, and MVS hitting free agency, DK Metcalf and Wilson are about all the Steelers have at wide receiver. Unless Pittsburgh makes some serious additions this offseason—which they may have to—they might have to figure something out. Will Mike McCarthy and new WR coach Adam Henry find a way to get more out of him?