Though Roman Wilson slotted in as the third-string wide receiver on the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ initial depth chart behind Scotty Miller and Robert Woods, his quarterback believes he has the necessary talent to make a major impact for the team and believe it’s just a matter of getting him to play with more confidence.
On Wednesday, Aaron Rodgers said that it’s his goal to get Wilson “out of his head” and to begin trusting himself more out on the field after a strong training camp practice on Tuesday.
“I got to get Roman out of his head a little bit,” Rodgers said. “I think he’s such a good kid. He cares so much about whether it’s my approval or he’s doing it right. He’s just got to trust himself because he’s so damn talented. The more that he can play free and not think out there, the better he’s going to play. The more he can just trust what he’s got and just go out and react, the better he’s going to play.”
Before Tuesday, Wilson hadn’t necessarily stood out in any meaningful manner throughout the Steelers’ time at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa. this summer. He made an impressive leaping catch over cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but he otherwise looked a bit unpolished going into his sophomore campaign.
There had been an apparent lack of chemistry between Rodgers and Wilson as well, which wasn’t overly surprising considering they were new to one another.
The pair connected several times on Tuesday with Calvin Austin III not participating due to injury, however, serving as a promising sign that the 2024 third-round pick was finally starting to emerge.
Wilson had some rather high expectations placed upon him leading into his rookie year, but an ankle injury at the beginning of camp halted his development.
The Michigan product, who won the national title with the program in 2023, did not play during the preseason and only began practicing as a full participant in practice ahead of Week 3.
Even still, Wilson did not make his debut for Pittsburgh until its Week 6 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, during which he logged only five snaps and didn’t record a stat.
He later suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for Week 7’s Sunday Night Football bout with the New York Jets, and it led to his placement on the reserve/injured list ahead of Week 8, ultimately ending his season.
The door is still open for Wilson to earn significant playing time alongside DK Metcalf and Austin, but he’ll have to heed Rodgers’ advice and continue proving himself over the next few weeks.
