Is Roman Wilson Taking Over Steelers’ WR2 Function?

Is Roman Wilson taking over the Steelers’ WR2 role?

While second-year WR Roman Wilson is making plays for the Steelers, Calvin Austin III is sidelined with a notable injury. He hasn’t practiced in weeks, and has missed the first two preseason games. Although HC Mike Tomlin suggested he expects Austin to “perk up” soon, he is losing ground, one way or another.

But how much ground could he lose to Roman Wilson, who played five snaps as a rookie? It’s not as though Wilson lit up the entire offseason, even if he has come on strong in recent weeks. His play has been at its best in the preseason games, but the most visible component of the work could instill a misrepresentative bias into the evaluation.

The Steelers haven’t played Roman Wilson too much, but at the same time, he also has only four catches. It’s not like he has 250 receiving yards and a couple touchdowns—he is still looking for his first score.

At the same time, Wilson isn’t battling the All-Pro team—or even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sure, on the other side of the Steelers’ recent joint practice, he might be an afterthought amid Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan—among others.

But on the Steelers, Wilson’s only competition is, literally, Calvin Austin and whatever is ailing him. And both of them are equally new to Aaron Rodgers this offseason, so that is a push. Although Rodgers and Wilson have had some communication issues, the veteran quarterback has also sung his praises. All he wants from Wilson is for the young receivers to trust in his own abilities more.

Entering the regular season, it’s not even clear how significant the WR2 will be in the Steelers’ offense. Bear in mind, we haven’t even seen Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith take the field yet. We’re going to see a lot more multiple-tight-end sets than the preseason might suggest. And there will even be sets with just one wide receiver on the field. Even when they have two, they’ll likely mix and match. But how many snaps will Roman Wilson see, and how many Calvin Austin? Is this a situation in which all you can do is ride the hot hand? Even so, who’s hand is hottest—is it Wilson’s by default?

The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.

Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While they made a lot of moves, they have to put the pieces together. The 2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions will be paramount.

But we still have a long training camp ahead for Steelers football. We survived the Aaron Rodgers situation and moved on to other things–other dramas sometimes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.