Behind the Steel Curtain
Not a whole lot has gone right for the Steelers over their last two games. However, it’s hard to come away from Sunday night’s contest against Green Bay and not be impressed by one of the Steelers’ most intriguing young playmakers.
Second-year wideout Roman Wilson led the team in receiving yards with 74 on just four catches Sunday night. The Michigan product has been used sparingly this season after injuries caused him to miss the vast majority of his rookie year. But after seeing career highs in targets, receptions, and yards, along with scoring his first career NFL touchdown, Wilson is just looking forward to his next opportunity.
“It was cool, but I’m really focused on the next one,” he said on Monday. “I don’t feel pressure. It’s obviously there, but this is more of a blessing. I just keep believing in myself and go to work.”
The Steelers have been connected to seemingly every single wide receiver that gets mentioned in trade talks for the last several months, but I find it hard to imagine that another receiver would be the solution on a team that has given up over 400 yards of offense in consecutive games. Maybe the spark they are looking for in the passing game has been on the roster all along.
Aaron Rodgers has been one of the biggest supporters of the young receiver, dating back to training camp. Rodgers was not surprised to see Wilson make the most of his opportunities against Green Bay.
“This is going to be your week this week,” he said Wednesday. “I just kind of had a feeling. And then Thursday, he had his best practice of the season.”
Wilson shone throughout training camp and the preseason while forming a good relationship with Rodgers in Latrobe. It was nice to finally see Wilson on the field and make some impact plays.
Wilson saw his second-most snaps of the season this past Sunday with 29. It was the second contest in a row in which Wilson saw the field on at least 45% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps. He was a whopping 20 snaps behind Calvin Austin III, who recorded just 28 yards in the contest.
In the case of Roman Wilson, it’s really quite simple: Arthur Smith and Mike Tomlin need to let him play a more consistent role in this Steelers offense. Wilson has always been a phenomenal route runner, dating back to his time at Michigan — a type of receiver the Steelers are desperately lacking.
It’s time for the Steelers to take off the training wheels and let their 2024 third-round selection show why the team invested in him in the first place. Wilson has the potential to be the pass-catching option everyone agrees Pittsburgh so desperately needs. He just needs the opportunity to prove it.
If Sunday night was any indication, we could be looking at a very bright future for the receiver.
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