Steelers Now
UNITY TWP., Pa. — There weren’t many Pittsburgh Steelers with more pressure on them to perform entering training camp 2025 than second-year wide receiver Roman Wilson.
The Steelers entered the 2024 season with a big hole at wide receiver after trading Diontae Johnson, and they drafted Wilson out of Michigan in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the idea that he would be able to at least pick up some of the slack from the departed starter.
That didn’t happen, as Wilson was injured in the first day of padded practices at training camp, returned to play one snap in one game, and then suffered a pair of hamstring injuries in practice that ultimately ended his 2024 season.
He returned for his second season in pretty much the same scenario as 2024. The Steelers added DK Metcalf at outside wide receiver, but traded George Pickens, and again entered training camp with only one proven commodity in terms of outside receivers.
Once again, the Steelers are counting on Wilson to pick up at least some of the slack. So far, he hasn’t been able to contribute a whole lot. While it hasn’t been the injury-riddled disaster that his 2024 season was, Wilson has been awfully quiet through the first week or so of training camp, despite getting plenty of opportunities to work with the first team as a starting outside wide receiver in 11 personnel.
On Thursday, Wilson finally showed what he’s capable of.
In a 1-on-1 drill against Joey Porter Jr., Wilson ran a double move, and caught the bigger cornerback flatfooted, running easily past him. The pass from Mason Rudolph, though, was high and hung up in the wind, giving Porter time to not only close the gap between him and Wilson, but put himself in far better position to catch the ball than the receiver.
Earlier in camp, a similar play had played out, with James Pierre the cornerback. He and Chuck Clark closed on Wilson while the ball fluttered and floated, and eventually caused an incompletion.
This catch has us like 😱@Trilllroman | #SteelersCamp pic.twitter.com/TqpTiQ3ccL
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 31, 2025
This time, Wilson leapt into the air, fighting back through Porter to the football and making a spectacular catch — easily the best of training camp by any Steelers receiver. Porter landed on his knees in the end zone, stunned that a ball that looked like a sure interception ended in a touchdown. The crowd surrounding Chuck Noll Field went nuts.
“That was a great play,” Wilson said. “I love the fans out here. I love their reactions to everything, the good and the bad. I feel like every rep I take out there, I can build from.”
The Steelers need Wilson to show more of that. They’re also not going to make it easy on him. With the additions of Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey to the cornerback room, there are no easy matchups for Wilson.
“I really...
