‘Arrow Up:’ Steelers Nonetheless Assured In WR Roman Wilson

Roman Wilson’s rookie season wasn’t what anybody envisioned when the Pittsburgh Steelers made him their third-round decide and potential starter changing the departed Diontae Johnson. As a substitute, accidents restricted Wilson to only one recreation and nil catches, ending the season on injured reserve. Regardless of the ominous begin, GM Omar Khan stays assured in Wilson’s potential to assist the group in 2025.

“I’ve a variety of confidence in Roman,” Khan mentioned on the Mix throughout a presser attended by our Ross McCorkle and Jonathan Heitritter. “Sadly, our season didn’t proceed, however Roman was able to play if we would have liked him to within the postseason, I feel may’ve helped us. However the arrow up on him.”

Wilson’s preliminary damage got here in the course of the group’s first padded follow. He turned his ankle on a jet sweep throughout ‘Seven Photographs,’ the primary group interval of the day. He missed the remainder of the summer season rehabbing and therapeutic, failing to follow or play in any of the group’s three preseason video games.

Nonetheless working his manner again at the beginning of the common season, Wilson was a weekly inactive till dressing in Week 6 in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders. He logged 5 snaps and wasn’t focused. Shortly after, he suffered a hamstring damage that landed him on injured reserve to complete the season.

To Khan’s level, Roman Wilson was wholesome sufficient to follow the ultimate few weeks of the 12 months. As they did for LB Cole Holcomb and DL Logan Lee, Wilson had his window-to-return opened and practiced with the group down the stretch. Khan implies that Wilson may’ve been activated and performed had Pittsburgh made a postseason run, however their Wild Card loss made that dialog moot.

Although historical past doesn’t bode nicely for large receivers who don’t catch passes throughout their rookie season, Wilson can look in the direction of Calvin Austin III for hope. Austin missed his total rookie season with a foot damage. After a quiet sophomore season, he broke out in 2024 to complete third on the group in receiving yards and second in touchdowns.

With Khan calling large receiver a precedence, the group figures so as to add this offseason. That would make it tougher for Wilson to see snaps. But when the expertise he displayed at Michigan carries over to the NFL and he shakes the damage bug, Pittsburgh will discover methods to get him on the sphere. Beginning along with his first NFL catch in 2025. And hopefully, an entire lot extra.