It's still early to panic, but one of the biggest question marks for the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense heading into training camp is still very much unanswered. After trading for DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and shipping off George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, the team sent the message that they need one of their young receivers to step up in 2025.
Even with Metcalf and a three-headed monster at the tight end position, new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers needs to have another reliable target he can utilize. The hope, at least for most fans, is that 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson would be that guy after an injury-riddled rookie season.
Unfortunately, Wilson has been noticeably quiet so far in Latrobe. On top of that, recent comments from Head Coach Mike Tomlin suggest his role could be more limited than fans would like.
According to Nick Farabaugh of PennLive, Wilson has been working on fielding kicks and taking reps as a gunner on special teams.
Pittsburgh Steelers need Roman Wilson to be much more than just a special teamer in 2025
While I think it's way too early to panic about the Michigan product, this isn't the kind of comments you want to hear if you are a fan of Wilson. His rookie struggles can be excused away due to missing so much time due to injury, but his slow start through one week of camp this year isn't exactly inspiring confidence.
With Calvin Austin III and the aging Robert Woods as his only real competition for playing time, it would be a major blow to his future with the Steelers if he can't beat at least one of them out for significant snaps.
That being said, his potential new role on special teams doesn't necessarily mean that he isn't still primed for a big role on offense. With the Steelers making it well-known that they plan to run the football early and often, as well as the addition of Jonnu Smith despite already having Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, the No.2 and No.3 receivers will play much less than most other offenses across the league.
If Wilson can be a contributor on offense while also providing value on special teams, that will only endear him more with the coaching staff. He may not catch a ton of footballs in 2025, but not many players in this offense outside of Metcalf will anyway.
As long as Wilson plays well in whatever snaps he does get, he will be a part of the Steelers plans in 2025 and beyond.