Tag: Roman Wilson

George Pickens’ injury proves Steelers made Roman Wilson-sized mistake

George Pickens’ absence in Week 16 argues that the Steelers must reconsider giving rookie Roman Wilson a chance in the WR room.

The worries of Steelers fans have been confirmed: George Pickens has been ruled OUT for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 16 AFC North showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.

However, his absence from last week’s and this week’s games provides ammunition to the season-long argument regarding the Steelers’ wide receiver room: HC Mike Tomlin and OC Arthur Smith need to give rookie WR Roman Wilson a chance.

It was recently argued by Steelers insider Gerry Dulac that Wilson’s inability to stay healthy during training camp and practices early on in 2024 forced the team to move on from his contributions this year. However, Pickens’ absence should force the team to reconsider.

In the past two games Pickens has missed, QB Russell Wilson struggled to find production out of his receivers and threw for a combined 286 yards in Weeks 14 and 15.

Regardless of Tomlin claiming to have “moved on,” or any insiders believing the rookie receiver will get his chance in 2025, one thing remains certain—the Wilson-to-Wilson connection could be the much-needed medicine for this dying Pittsburgh Steelers offense.

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Steelers insider believes WR Roman Wilson may be done for the season

Roman Wilson’s return to the field may not come this season, with Steelers insider Gerry Dulac predicting a 2025 debut.

Steelers fans hoping to see Roman Wilson make his long-awaited comeback in the final three regular season games or the 2024 season may need to wait a little longer. Steelers insider Gerry Dulac described the situation regarding Wilson’s return in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and he believes the receiver won’t return in any capacity this season.

When asked for his opinion on Wilson’s return, Dulac stated:

“He has missed all of training camp and nearly all of this season. He is not going to play because he is not ready. Next year.”

It is important to note that the Pittsburgh Steelers have not made an official decision regarding Wilson. However, judging by head coach Mike Tomlin’s previous comments about the rookie wide receiver, suggesting they had ‘moved on’ from his availability concerns, Dulac may be right on the money with his 2025 prediction for Wilson.

Fans of the Steelers may be disappointed that Wilson may not contribute in his rookie season. However, many receivers in Pittsburgh’s past, especially those drafted in the later rounds, have also struggled to make significant contributions in their first year.

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Steelers insider provides troublesome status update on rookie WR

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson has fallen off the radar since landing on injured reserve in October.

Roman Wilson, where art thou? The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a time of need with George Pickens likely sidelined for the foreseeable future. But given that he’s only played five snaps in one game before his second injury (hamstring) since he was drafted, it’s doubtful that Wilson would have any impact anyway.

Wilson was placed on injured reserve in October, where he remains after expectations were that he’d be sidelined for four games. Four games would’ve made Wilson eligible to return in Week 13; however, he’s seemingly dropped off the radar.

Joe Starkey of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette offered this update in his most recent mailbag:

The last I spoke with Ray Fittipaldo, one of our Steelers writers, he told me he did not expect to see Wilson at all this season… When you draft a guy 84th overall, you expect to see him, especially in times of need. And with George Pickens facing an uncertain immediate future, this week would appear to be one of those times.

On the other hand, it doesn’t take much detective work to conclude that Wilson did not exactly make a huge positive impression on Tomlin. I’m not even sure Tomlin has left the light on for him.

It’s too early to dub Wilson the worst Steelers draft pick at the wide receiver position since taking Chase Claypool at No. 49 in 2020. But he’s certainly in Mike Tomlin’s dog house. The last words Tomlin uttered about Wilson was that he’d moved on after the rookie landed on injured reserve.

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Steelers fans call for answers regarding rookie Roman Wilson

Fans are left frustrated by the Steelers’ silence on rookie WR Roman Wilson’s health and his role amid roster changes.

Memo to HC Mike Tomlin: fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers need clear answers regarding rookie WR Roman Wilson.

Thanks to Tomlin’s coaching style, keeping his cards close to his vest, Wilson’s health—or lack thereof—has gone radio silent the past few weeks.

A little over a month ago, Pittsburgh Steelers WR coach Zach Azzanni seemingly referenced that Wilson was preparing for his stint on IR to be short, likely the NFL minimum of four missed games. However, Wilson never returned in Week 13, nor Week 14, and fans want to know why.

With Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens expected to be out for an unspecified amount of time with a grade 2 hamstring strain, Wilson could potentially bring some much-needed life and energy to a bare Steelers wide receiver room.

Understandably confused and upset, here are some of the best reactions to the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ lack of information regarding rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson and his potential health concerns.

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Is Mike Tomlin choosing loyalty over CB Beanie Bishop Jr.?

Cam Sutton’s assumption of the starting slot role in Week 13 could potentially slow down Beanie Bishop Jr.’s impressive rookie campaign.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Pittsburgh Steelers have dealt with a plethora of positional battles in 2024, with several seemingly being decided on a matter of HC Mike Tomlin’s preference rather than skill set. Tomlin’s decision to bring Russell Wilson into the starting conversation a few games too late was an example of this, as was his decision to ‘move on’ from rookie WR Roman Wilson’s participation earlier in the season when he was healthy. Tomlin is once again staring down another opportunity to make amends and choose dynamic play over loyalty, but the head coach seems keen on the latter.

While rookie slot cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. has been electric to start the 2024 season, the return of veteran slot cornerback Cam Sutton from suspension complicated the situation. It had appeared that Bishop had locked up the starting slot cornerback role, regardless of Sutton’s return. However, Week 13 saw the rookie see the field for only 9.7% of the defensive snaps, while Sutton took over the slot cornerback duties, playing over 70% of the snaps on defense. Sutton would give up two touchdowns in the contest, while Bishop hasn’t given up a touchdown since Week 6.

Tomlin tried to clarify that it was a matchup issue, but previous roster decisions he’s made may tell a different story.

Will Bishop be given his chance to earn back the starting job he should have never lost? Or is this another circumstance with Tomlin choosing loyalty over talent?

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Is a Roman Wilson Week 13 return realistic for Steelers?

Roman Wilson could technically return from IR in Week 13, giving the Steelers a boost against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Roman Wilson potentially could have some positive news next week as the team gears up to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13. Wilson, who was added to IR on October 28th, is finally eligible to return after sitting out the past four games.

Wilson being eligible to return and being healthy are two completely different factors that the Pittsburgh Steelers will consider when ultimately making their decision on the rookie third-round wide receiver.

While Wilson had seemingly caught the ire of HC Mike Tomlin and OC Arthur Smith, WR coach Zach Azzanni spoke highly of Wilson only a few days after his addition to IR, stating that the young wideout asked Azzanni to create a plan during the four weeks away from action.

Will Azzanni’s plan for Wilson culminate in a Week 13 return? Only time will tell, but after the horrendous Steelers offensive display in Week 12, the team may need his talents sooner rather than later.

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What is going on with WR Mike Williams?

The Steelers’ wide receiver room has seen changes, but questions remain about WR Mike Williams’ role in the team’s offensive strategy.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Such is the life of the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers‘ wide receiver room. While the Steelers addressed potential depth issues through free agency, the draft, and the trade deadline with WRs Van Jefferson, Roman Wilson, and Mike Williams respectively, there has been almost nothing from these three to show for it.

Specifically, much of the hype surrounding the Williams acquisition leaves fans scratching their heads over why his usage has been so minimal.

His Week 10 debut saw him score the game-deciding TD, but he hasn’t received a single target in either Week 11 or Week 12’s contest.

In his recent disappearing act, Calvin Austin III has stepped up in a big way, but it doesn’t excuse the Steelers’ poor usage of Wilson.

The issue likely stems from the offensive scheme, much to the frustration of fans, as OC Arthur Smith’s predictable running calls have limited the Steelers’ passing opportunities in recent weeks.

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Former Steelers’ WR turned Raven a non-factor in Baltimore debut

Former Steeler and newly acquired Ravens WR Diontae Johnson had an underwhelming debut in Baltimore, making zero impact whatsoever.

While not every debut makes a splash, some fail to even make a ripple. This is exactly the reality Diontae Johnson faced in his first appearance with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9. The former Steelers WR did his best impression of Roman Wilson’s regular-season debut. Not only did Johnson fail to record a single catch, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson didn’t target him at all during the contest. 

While his playing time was limited, similar to how Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin handled Wilson’s first career NFL regular-season game, his inability to make even a slight impact begs the question: was too much stock put into his arrival with the Ravens?

While Johnson has yet to be given the chance to highlight some of his less-than-lovable qualities, such as his tendency to give up on plays, his lack of consistency in run blocking, and his plethora of dropped passes, fans of Pittsburgh should be excited about the opportunity to showcase, in Week 11’s matchup with the Ravens, why acquiring Donte Jackson was well worth the price they paid in trading Johnson to Carolina. 

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Steelers fans react to Roman Wilson IR news

Roman Wilson’s injured hamstring resulted in the rookie being placed on IR. Here are some passionate fan reactions to the awful news.

The, ‘will Roman Wilson play’ drama, appears to be taking a short-term hiatus—four weeks at least—as the rookie’s hamstring injury resulted in the receiver being placed on injured reserve. In recent weeks, fans and reporters alike have been calling for clarification as to why Wilson was being used so sparingly, only playing for a total of 5 snaps in one game thus far in 2024. 

Some were quick to point out Wilson’s injuries leading up to his Week 5 debut; however, he was a healthy scratch in the weeks before this. Wilson also missed his team’s Week 6 game, but Tomlin argued that Wilson’s hamstring injury was less of a reason and that he had ‘moved on’ from the situation.

Fans of the Steel City were split on their initial reactions to Wilson being added to IR on Monday, and here are some of the passionate social media responses to the news. 

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Steelers’ Roman Wilson injury update spells bad news for WR corps

Bad news for Steelers wide receiver corps after team announces Roman Wilson injury update.

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve today, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported. The 2024 third-rounder out of Michigan played in only one matchup this season: All of five snaps with zero targets in Week 6 versus the Las Vegas Raiders.

Wilson will miss at least the next four weeks. At the earliest, Wilson would be eligible to return for the Week 12 showdown versus Jameis Winston’s Cleveland Browns.

After spending most of training camp sidelined with a bum ankle, Wilson injured his hamstring in practice leading up to the Week 7 New York Jets game.

The Steelers won without Wilson — just as they have been — defeating Aaron Rodgers‘ Jets by a score of 37-15.

https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1850991776082837588

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