Will Roman Wilson continue to play WR No. 2 snaps this week?
While Roman Wilson saw a career high in snaps on Sunday, he only saw two targets, and we don’t know if this pattern will continue. Even though he played the second-most snaps among wide receivers, does that qualify as “WR No. 2” status? One can easily argue, of course, that the Steelers don’t have one at all — and would probably be right.
But somebody has to play, and unless three tight ends are on the field, it’s going to be another receiver. Calvin Austin III had played the most snaps behind DK Metcalf, but will it be Roman Wilson now? Even coaches have been talking him up a fair bit and noting improvements behind the scenes. Before last game, Arthur Smith hinted at a bigger role, and then he played more, shockingly.
But was this based on the week of practice, based on the opponent, or just the trajectory of the room? Do the Steelers feel that Roman Wilson playing more than Calvin Austin is in the offense’s best interests? Although Wilson has had some miscues, so has Austin, frankly.
A third-round pick in 2024 out of Michigan, Roman Wilson barely played as a rookie. Even this offseason, he seemed to be facing a lot of outside pressure. The start of the season didn’t help, because he was still barely playing through the first month.
Then Austin went down with an injury and Wilson moved up in the pecking order, and Wilson hasn’t really fallen back since. He has continued to play more snaps and see more targets, though really, nobody is seeing a huge workload. The Steelers are in the bottom 10 in the NFL in passing targets this season, so that’s a team-wide concern.
Pittsburgh reportedly endeavored to trade for a WR No. 2 at the deadline a couple weeks back. They failed, but is Roman Wilson the next best thing? Even if they don’t see Austin as that guy, there’s also Marquez Valdes-Scantling on the practice squad.
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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