Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Even as he’s starting to emerge, Roman Wilson continues to strip things down to the bare bones. Considering the second-year Pittsburgh Steelers receiver didn’t have anything to boast about a year ago, it’s no mystery as to why he isn’t shouting his successes to the masses.
Wilson paced his team with 72 receiving yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night. He racked up 42 of that on a post pattern in the first quarter, speeding past cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Tykee Smith to palm it.
“It was just Mason (Rudolph) threw a good ball and I made a catch,” Wilson said after the Steelers’ 17-14 defeat. “That’s what it was at the end of the day.”
Rudolph and Wilson had connected last week in Jacksonville. The quarterback offered a glimpse into what’s behind his receiver’s simplifications during his post-game press conference.
ROMAN WILSON WELCOME TO THE NFL
🔥🔥🔥
— MetcalfBurgh🫡 (@PickensBurgh) August 16, 2025
“It was a great catch by Rome,” Rudolph said of the 42-yard connection. “He’s been very dependable over camp. … I know it killed him having to sit out all last year with the injury. He’s extremely hungry to get out there and make plays and prove himself. He’s definitely done that.”
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin likes what he sees out of the Michigan product, who played just five snaps last season. Tomlin’s words sounded more like counsel than praise.
“You know, he’s had a good camp,” Tomlin said. “And he’s backed that up with some quality in-stadium play and so I feel good about the overall trajectory of him. But we’ve got another game in a couple more weeks and, you know, that time is critical for a young guy. So he’s gotta keep his foot on the gas and keep working.”
Rudolph complimented Wilson’s explosive ability, quickness off the line of scrimmage and solid hands. Wilson is “locked into Arthur’s offense right now, our offense, and he’s doing a good job digesting all the concepts,” Rudolph said. Wilson feels he has work to do with details, consistency, mainly in his run-blocking and route-running.
It would seem that Wilson has a chip on his shoulder. He denies that.
“I don’t have anything to prove,” Wilson said.
He’s not fooling Rudolph, though.
“He probably would’ve played the whole game tonight if he could,” Rudolph said.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: ‘Extremely Hungry’ Steelers WR Roman Wilson Must Keep Foot on Gas
