A week ago, Mike Tomlin touted the great “opportunity” Roman Wilson had. Instead, he logged just nine offensive snaps, ran two routes, and was not targeted. Set to end a quiet sophomore season, beat writer Gerry Dulac reported why Wilson simply isn’t seeing the field.
“I was told that Roman Wilson isn’t playing as well as the two veteran receivers,” Dulac said on KDKA’s Steelers Kickoff Show Sunday morning. “And that’s Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Adam Thielen.”
It’s clear the Steelers are preferring all their veterans over Wilson. Against Cleveland, Thielen logged 57 snaps, Valdes-Scantling 54, and Scotty Miller 42. Wilson was stuck in single-digits.
During Pittsburgh’s three-game winning streak, QB Aaron Rodgers touted the impact having veterans on the field bring. More focus, more attention to detail, more experience that translates to better results. In moments, those names have made plays. Valdes-Scantling caught a touchdown against Miami while Thielen and Miller have been a favorites on third and fourth down.
But against Cleveland, the group struggled. Valdes-Scantling had an objectively poor game, struggling to beat man coverage and unable to get on the same page with Rodgers in the game’s final plays. Thielen had a third down drop. Pittsburgh’s passing game was invisible and the Steelers managed just two field goals in a brutal loss.
With Calvin Austin III set to return tonight, Wilson’s chances of playing more seem slim.
” I’m not sure you, barring an injury, that you’re gonna see him any more tonight than you did last week,” Dulac said.
In fact, there’s a chance Wilson doesn’t even dress tonight. Inactive for the three games prior to DK Metcalf’s suspension, Wilson may be the odd-man-out. Thanks to CB D’Shawn Jamison’s elevation, the Steelers must have six inactives. Some might be obvious, like emergency third-string QB Will Howard and rookie RB Kaleb Johnson. But buried on the depth chart and hardly playing even when active, Wilson could watch the season finale in street clothes. And enter the offseason with a highly questionable standing with the team.