The Pittsburgh Steelers have been underwhelming at wide receiver for the last two seasons. Part of that has been because of Roman Wilson’s lack of development. The Steelers spent a third-round pick on him in 2024, and there was hope he could help minimize the loss of Diontae Johnson. Unfortunately, Wilson missed most of his rookie season due to lingering ankle and hamstring injuries. He didn’t do much more last season, either. While his standing with the team looks precarious because of the new coaching staff, Mike McCarthy believes he can turn things around.
“New system, fresh start,” McCarthy said Monday via The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo on Twitter. “I’m hoping he’s one of those guys that would benefit from it. I was impressed talking football with him. There’s a lot of people that have a lot of love for him in the building.”
Mike McCarthy said he recently had a "great conversation" w/ Roman Wilson.
"New system, fresh start. I'm hoping he's one of those guys that would benefit from it. I was impressed talking football with him. There's a lot of people that have a lot of love for him in the building."
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) March 30, 2026
Despite being healthy last year, Wilson only caught 12 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. He basically had no impact on offense, and he got benched down the stretch.
Some of that could’ve been due to a lack of chemistry with Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers usually had a lot of nice things to say about Wilson, but the two struggled to connect on the field. With the Steelers trying to re-sign Rodgers, there’s a chance that the two could look better after a year together.
Wilson will be 25 years old this season, so he’s still a young player. There’s a chance that the Steelers’ coaching staff change could be good for him. New receivers coach Adam Henry has worked with plenty of talented pass catchers, including Odell Beckham Jr., CeeDee Lamb, and Stefon Diggs. There’s a chance he could help Wilson take a step forward.
However, if Wilson has another lost season, then he could find himself out of a job next year. The Steelers have a lot of draft capital, and they will likely use some of that to add to their receiver room. They could even spend their first-round pick on the position.
If they do, that wouldn’t leave much room left for Wilson to make an impact. DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. will be the Steelers’ top two options. After that, nothing is solidified, but McCarthy would likely want to work a potential top draft pick into that No. 3 spot. Wilson will have to fight to earn his reps. This is a big year for him, and we’ll see if McCarthy’s offense helps unlock some of his skills.
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