One of the final plays of mandatory minicamp was a deep strike from Aaron Rodgers to Roman Wilson. Reports varied on the exact distance, ranging from more than 50 yards to over 70. The important part is that Rodgers hit Wilson in stride. For a quarterback and receiver who struggled to establish consistent chemistry last season, the play may foreshadow a growing connection for the embattled duo.
“The Rodgers-to-Roman connection is in a much better place than it was a season ago,” The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo wrote in his minicamp takeaways. “That deep pass to Wilson wasn’t the only one Wednesday.”
There were big expectations for Wilson in his second season last year, but Rodgers is a stickler for precise route running and receivers being on the same page with pre-snap hand signals.
While it was never said outright, Wilson never quite earned the trust of the 42-year-old quarterback. That’s why vets like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen leapfrogged him on the depth chart shortly after joining the Steelers later in the season.
What was supposed to be Wilson’s breakout season ended in him being inactive for four of the last five games, carrying legitimate questions about his spot on the 53-man roster into Year 3.
Expel that thought from your mind. Wilson is making the team.
“Even though the Steelers drafted Germie Bernard in the second round and he’s looked quite good, Wilson is clearly WR3 at this exact moment in an offense that will use a lot of three-receiver sets,” DeFabo wrote. “His challenge will be to try to hold off Bernard for the rest of the season.”
Even if Bernard cuts into the WR3 snaps as the season develops, Wilson has something that Bernard can’t offer: game-breaking speed. Officially running a 4.39 at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Wilson is arguably the fastest player on the roster.
There’s a spot for that in Mike McCarthy’s offense.
A new offensive system and improved offensive line should help alleviate concerns about Rodgers having the quickest time to throw and shortest air yards per attempt last year.
DK Metcalf can blow the top off defenses, but it’s hard to do it alone with safeties constantly rolling his way to take away the deep threat. Adding Wilson to the mix complicates things for them.
Rodgers showing up earlier in the offseason process helps — an improved connection with Metcalf has also been noted. It’s also reasonable to expect a third-year player to improve, especially one fueled by the adversity of a disappointing season.
The real test won’t come until September, but the Roman Wilson hype train is already picking up steam.
Recommended for you