Will Roman Wilson have a chance to build upon his breakout performance last week?
After a year and a half of waiting, WR Roman Wilson finally impacted a game. But what about the next game, and the next? A 2024 third-round pick, he hasn’t had the opportunity to contribute, but that’s not independent of his work in practice. Is he at a point at which the coaches and Aaron Rodgers feel he can regularly contribute?
Take Rodgers’ comments about Wilson on Wednesday, for example. While he praised the young receiver for his hard work and improvement, he also mentioned multiple times that even in his best practices, there were still teachable moments. Why did he go out of his way to say that, and is that generally true for most players?
Roman Wilson caught four passes for 74 yards and a touchdown this week, a week of firsts for him. While he had his first multi-catch game a week earlier, he did have his first explosive play. And of course, he also caught his first touchdown, albeit one initially (incorrectly) ruled incomplete. Perhaps even that is a teachable moment for Wilson: Don’t even give the officials a chance to think your catch wasn’t a catch.
The thing is, the Steelers are 23rd in the NFL in pass attempts per game. This is not exactly a prolific passing offense, and they like to throw to their running backs. And DK Metcalf, of course, but even he doesn’t get as many targets as he might in another offense. So how much room is there left over really for Roman Wilson to be a contributor of significance?
The Steelers drafted him with that goal in mind, so presumably, if he earns a role, then the offense will respond in kind. After all, there’s no reason that they couldn’t throw the ball more, and to another receiver. Especially if Wilson can get himself involved in some slant routes and other quick hitters and show off some YAC, there is the potential for more for him, certainly. But we’ll see what today looks like as a starting point.
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers isthe quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
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