Although tonight isn’t Roman Wilson’s in-stadium debut, it might as well be. It’s more important than the five snaps he played last season. Having missed the entirety of the preseason as a rookie, this will mark his most extensive playing time thus far. And although Aaron Rodgers is not playing, it’s also Wilson’s best opportunity to prove himself.
Also not playing are DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III, the latter due to injury. As a result, Roman Wilson is guaranteed not just to start, but to play a featured role in the offense. The second-year receiver looks to build off a string of recent strong practices as he solidifies an offensive role.
Said head coach Mike Tomlin leading up to the game, the Steelers are focused on Wilson’s offensive contributions this week. They’re not concerned right now with what he might contribute on special teams — that can come later. First, they need to see him perform in-stadium, even without a full complement on offense.
The Steelers selected Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He missed most of his rookie offseason, injuring his ankle in the first padded practice. That injury lingered into the regular season, and by the time he finally recovered, he fell behind. Eventually, he dressed for one game, playing five snaps before injuring his hamstring. They redshirted him for the balance of the season, placing him on the Reserve/Injured List.
Wilson drew some buzz early in the offseason, but his chemistry with Aaron Rodgers proved slow to build as training camp began. In the first several practices, they failed to connect on multiple attempts due to apparent miscommunications. In the past week, however, that connection has grown, and productivity has come with it.
Although Rodgers won’t be playing, Roman Wilson will be catching passes from Mason Rudolph, with whom he has worked even more since going back to OTAs. As the top receiver in the game, Wilson could see a healthy number of targets.
Given his potential importance and his limited experience, I expect the Steelers will give Wilson a lot of burn in tonight’s game. They are also trying to sort out the back of the depth chart, too, so they will need some opportunities for others. Those roles, however, are more typically sorted out in the final preseason game.
Rodgers recently praised Wilson, but also called him, in so many words, his own worst enemy. The veteran quarterback urged Wilson to trust himself and assured him of his talent and potential. Without the opportunity to do it on the field, it can be hard to buy into your own hype. Tonight, Wilson will have that opportunity to show his talents to everybody — including himself.
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