Where’s Roman Wilson? A question Ben Roethlisberger recently posed. One Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer thinks the coaching staff has wondered the same. Joining 93.7 The Fan Wednesday morning, Mark Kaboly offered his take on Wilson and the “disconnect” in his game.

“The thing with Roman is, he’ll wow you in practice, man,” Kaboly told Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey. “He’ll wow you in the drills. He’ll wow you in 7-on-7s. Even in training camp. Then, when he gets in the game, it’s like, what’s going on? Where’d he go?”

“That could be some false hope that the coaches see and say, ‘Wait a second, he showed this every single day in the offseason. Then why doesn’t it show up in the game as well?’”

Effectively, Kaboly is calling Wilson the ultimate practice player. He didn’t detail why things look so different in-game. But it could come down to physicality. In practice, hitting is limited and often prohibited. A 7-on-7 drill is made for quick-twitch receivers like Wilson, who shined during his first four practices of training camp as a rookie and put together a solid summer last year. Once the games start and defenses can hit back with full force, Wilson’s lack of size and strength becomes more evident.

Still, Wilson has made plays. He put on good tape during his limited 2025 run. One central issue seemed to be his inexperience in relation to QB Aaron Rodgers, who trusted veterans. Wilson showed moments of not being on the same page with his quarterback. In one instance against the Cincinnati Bengals, Wilson didn’t show proper tempo on an out route, limiting his separation on what could’ve gone for a touchdown. The moment drew Rodgers’ ire. 

A late-game fumble against the Indianapolis Colts didn’t help Wilson’s cause, either. If trust isn’t there with quarterback and receiver, the receiver isn’t going to play. Hence, the disconnect.

While Kaboly cited that as an issue, he’s confident the new coaching staff will give Wilson every chance to prove himself. Even if Rodgers returns.

“I still don’t think that you’re gonna take a guy 21st overall and throw him in Week 1 and say, ‘You’re the starter,’” he said. “I think [Wilson will] play then [the rookie] eventually take over that spot. Roman Wilson does have a ton of talent, but there was just some kind of disconnect.”

Wilson will likely battle a rookie receiver, first round or not, for playing time this summer. Wilson’s experience may give him a leg up but Pittsburgh has been fearless about starting rookies. Had it not been for an MCL sprain, Derrick Harmon, the 21st overall pick of 2025, wouldn’t have been held back one bit.

Like running back Kaleb Johnson, Wilson enters a critical summer. A clean slate to prove himself and play well. If he doesn’t, the new coaching staff may look elsewhere and leave Wilson looking for a fresh start on a new team.