The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in what was one of Aaron Rodgers‘ stronger performance of the season, as he went 23-for-34 with 284 yards and a touchdown.
The Steelers signed Adam Thielen heading into the contest, so he was active for the matchup and logged one catch for four yards, but in the process, Pittsburgh made fellow wide receiver Roman Wilson a healthy scratch.
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Steelers insider Mark Kaboly said that “something’s weird” with the team’s decision to bench Wilson, and Rodgers appeared to be taking a shot at Wilson when he described the state of the receiving corps.
“It was our most crisp week of prep on the field. I think off the field, we’ve already been good. I thought the energy was good,” Rodgers told reporters. “Not a big believer in coincidences. So, I’ve got to think that just Marquez [Valdes-Scantling] and Adam out there made a difference from a professionalism standpoint.”
Does that mean that Wilson perhaps was not behaving in a professional manner throughout the week?
“Not saying those other guys don’t have professionalism,” Rodgers clarified. “I love all of our other guys, but I just think there was an extra level of focus this week.”
Rodgers added that he wasn’t taking a shot at anyone in particular, but it’s hard not to read between the lines and glean that the future Hall-of-Fame quarterback was probably referring to Wilson.
Pittsburgh selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Injuries derailed his rookie campaign to the point where he played just five offensive snaps all season, failing to register a statistic. This year, the University of Michigan product has logged 12 catches for 166 yards and a couple of touchdowns. He hasn’t caught a pass since Nov. 16.
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It’s been fairly evident all year long that head coach Mike Tomlin is not a huge fan of Wilson, who won a national championship during his final season at Michigan in 2023. Perhaps Rodgers feels the same way.
In any case, the Steelers moved back into sole possession of first place with their win over the Ravens and will face the Miami Dolphins next Monday.
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