Entering his 13th season in the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers WR Robert Woods has played a lot of football and been in a lot of locker rooms. He’s the oldest receiver on Pittsburgh’s roster and he’s using his wisdom to help mentor a receiver room he has a lot of confidence in.
Speaking to the media after Pittsburgh’s final voluntary OTA session on Thursday, Woods talked about his approach to leading a room of young receivers. He said one of the biggest things he can do is give them confidence to “let it loose.”
“I feel like my game and how I approach it is, I’m trying to feed my knowledge to everybody on whole team. Even the DBs, if everybody is getting better, this whole team is getting better…and when these guys have questions, I’m giving them answers, giving them details, giving them confidence. Allowing them to play their game and be themselves, all these guys are here for a reason and capable, they just gotta be able to let it loose,” Woods said [via Pittsburgh’s DSEN on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnDH3-xJTzU).
In particular, Woods talked about giving confidence to second-year wide receiver Roman Wilson, who he said had a big week. Woods said that if Pittsburgh’s entire receiver room can be confident, then the sky is the limit for the unit.
“Obviously, he’s fast and skillful, but when you see his approach, just coming here, taking the details to improve his game. He had a great week, me and him had some big, explosive plays, but really, I feel like just give him confidence, just a confident player. Be able to make his plays, be himself, and get the ball in his hands. I think when you give confidence to that whole room, our whole room, the sky’s the limit.”
While the Steelers [are still pursuing another receiver](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/05/schultz-steelers-engaged-in-trade-talks-with-multiple-teams-to-add-offensive-playmaker/), the group they have now should be better than Pittsburgh’s receiver room last year. Wilson missed almost his entire rookie season with injuries and only played five snaps, and he’s someone that the Steelers have high hopes for. Add in the addition of DK Metcalf, another year of development from Calvin Austin III and a reliable veteran in Woods, and the Steelers should improve.
Having the confidence that they’re able to be great is important. Even though he’s entering his fourth season, Austin missed his entire rookie season with an injury and is still young, and Wilson hasn’t proved anything on an NFL field yet. With Austin expected to play a bigger role especially following the departure of George Pickens, he has to have the confidence level that he’s a viable No. 2 option.
Hearing words of encourgement and advice from Woods should mean something to Pittsburgh’s receivers. It’s hard to play as long as he has, and he was a No. 1 receiver during his prime. It’s good to have a true veteran leader in the room, and Woods’ wisdom alone should help raise the ceiling for Pittsburgh’s receivers.
Of course, the team will still be counting on him to produce on the field, as he might be the current favorite to start on the outside across from DK Metcalf. But Robert Woods’ role as a leader is extremely important in a young receiver room. His ability to teach and lead could help Austin and Wilson take a step forward for Pittsburgh this year.