His first two years in the NFL haven’t gone according to plan after being a key contributor on a national championship team and then a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but those tough first two seasons hasn’t hindered the mentality of Pittsburgh Steelers’ third-year wide receiver Roman Wilson.
An ankle injury negated his rookie season, seeing him play just five total snaps. Then, inconsistencies and struggles getting on the same page with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers last season saw him finish his second season as a healthy scratch.
Now, he has a chance to carve out a larger role in Year 3, this time under a new coaching staff. He’ll do so leaning on some of the lessons he learned last season while going through adversity.
Being a healthy scratch as a second-year player, losing a helmet to veterans with not much left like Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling had to be a tough pill to swallow for Wilson, but during an appearance on The Christian Kuntz Podcast, Wilson was grateful for the chance to learn and grow through those tough times.
“It sucks to say this, but even last year when I they made me inactive, I’m like, ‘I’m gonna turn it up a little bit.’ I’m not playing in the game, but this is an opportunity for me to really understand everything that’s going on,” Wilson said of his inactive experience, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “That’s so valid. How does this route tie into the QB’s footwork? How does this play work against this defense or, why are we checking certain plays and why are we calling this in certain situations? It game me more opportunities to watch more film on other receivers, gave me more time to look back on myself.
“It was a great experience to really like stop and then turn it up a little bit. Like, ‘okay, let’s change the game plan.’ It was great.”
Losing a helmet late in the season with the Steelers very clearly needing a boost at the receiver position had to be tough for Wilson. It had many questioning his future in the Steel City even before the significant coaching changes the franchise underwent this offseason.
But behind the scenes, Wilson had the right mentality and was grinding away, working on his craft and trying to find the smallest margins to improve and put himself in a better position moving forward.
Now, with a clean slate under a new coaching staff, he’s looking to implement those lessons learned last season to help put him in a better spot to contribute in 2026.
It’s similar to how he conducted himself after a trying rookie season that saw him slowed by injuries, from an ankle injury in training camp, to a hamstring injury that hampered him upon his return.
“Looking back on that, being hurt my first year was probably some of the best that happened to me,” Wilson added. “I learned how to become a professional when no one’s looking at you. When the cameras aren’t on, what are you gonna do to get back on that stage?”
Based on his comments over the last two seasons and how he’s dealt with adversity in that sense, Wilson has what it takes between the ears to succeed. Now, he needs to put it all together on the field, something he showed flashes of at times last season.
There might be a light at the end of the long, dark tunnel for Wilson. And it might not be a train this time.