It was a meager stat line for Steelers WR Roman Wilson, but he impressed in his preseason debut on Saturday. The second-year man drew two targets, catching both, for 24 yards, including a 19-yard reception. Despite the opportunity to do otherwise, the Steelers kept his playing time limited, exiting with the starters. It was enough to whet the appetite, though, according to Brian Batko.
“I thought Roman Wilson came out and made a statement”, Batko said on the North Shore Drive podcast yesterday. “Because it was early in that game. I don’t know if it was a concerted effort to go to him early and get that confidence going, or if it just got open and he was the first read and boom, it clicked”.
A third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Roman Wilson spent most of his rookie season sidelined due to injury. He hurt his ankle on the first day of padded practices, an ailment lingering into the regular season. After a debut that consisted of five snaps, he injured his hamstring. The Steelers placed him on the Reserve/Injured List and looked ahead to 2025.
Despite an inconsistent but upward-trending training camp, the Steelers didn’t seem compelled to see more from Wilson. He only played nine snaps in Sunday’s game, getting long looks instead at other receivers. Had they seen enough with the two catches he did make, and what were they looking for?
“I haven’t really felt him a ton in training camp. He doesn’t necessarily have a dominant presence about him on the field or anything like that”, Batko said of Wilson. “But, hey, he came out like gangbusters tonight in this preseason opportunity. Which was a huge opportunity for him with how much time he missed last year”.
As Batko concluded, Wilson “looked the part” out there, in an offense absent most other key targets. QB Aaron Rodgers did not play, nor did WRs DK Metcalf or Calvin Austin III. TEs Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith also sat, leaving Wilson the most notable name active for the game.
Considering he is in line to start, one wonders why the Steelers didn’t keep him out there for longer. The only offensive players who played fewer snaps than Wilson were Ben Skowronek, Kenneth Gainwell, and new QB Logan Woodside.
But he exited when the starters exited, and the Steelers’ top unit only played 14 snaps. Roman Wilson logged nine of them, made his two plays, and then called it a night. I don’t know if that necessarily constitutes “gangbusters”. I do know that he did what the Steelers asked him to do, though, and that’s all one can expect under the circumstances.
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