Roman

Wilson

Watt isn’t expected to get his usual amount of snaps, but the future Hall of Famer will be able to held as a pass-rusher in sub-packages in the winner-take-all game. The Steelers inactives for Week 18 will be WR Roman Wilson, QB Will Howard, RB Kaleb Johnson, CB Tre Flowers, LB Jeremiah Moon and OT Jack Driscoll.

It’s a strange thing to say about a wideout who has been a healthy scratch for three straight weeks as veteran journeyman Adam Thielen plays ahead of him. Tomlin said if Metcalf’s two-game suspension is upheld this week, Wilson — who has 166 yards and two touchdowns this season — will have a chance “to show his professionalism and his readiness and how he’s been sharpening his sword for battle.” Calvin Austin III and Thielen could also see an increase in routes and targets if Metcalf if out in Week 17 against the Browns. The Steelers are likely to revert to a run-heavy offense without their top receiver.

That was quick. Five days after signing the former Vikings wideout, the Steelers will have him active in the biggest game of the season. It would be a surprise if Thielen was used as anything more than a rotational slot receiver for now. He appears to have surpassed Roman Wilson on the Pittsburgh depth chart. Steelers declared WR Roman Wilson, DT Derrick Harmon, SS Kyle Dugger, OT Calvin Anderson, DT Brodric Martin, WR Ke’Shawn Williams, and QB Will Howard inactive for Week 14.

Wilson also led the team in receiving with a paltry 35 yards, highlighting the struggles of the Pittsburgh offense in the loss. The team managed just 221 yards of total offense while scoring a lone field goal until under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Wilson willed his way into the end zone on a slant. Wilson remains off the fantasy radar even with the team in dire need of secondary production behind alpha receiver DK Metcalf.

Wilson notched his first professional touchdown late in the fourth quarter and set career highs in targets, receptions, and yards in the loss. The outburst is a promising sign considering the general lack of secondary options through the air for the Steelers, although Wilson will be a difficult start ahead of a Week 9 showdown with the 7-1 Colts. Fantasy managers could look to stash the youngster on benches for the time being.

It was a play-action pass where Skowronek went against the flow of the defense and it almost operated like a screen, with Steelers receivers blocking downfield to create an easy crease for the 28-year-old receiver. Skowronek doesn’t need to be chased in fantasy leagues after only playing 10 of 53 snaps for the Steelers in this one. He’s operating more-or-less in a timeshare for Pittsburgh’s third receiver role with Roman Wilson.

DeFabo mentioned that Wilson during his collegiate career at Michigan “feasted on in-breaking routes over the middle of the field at Michigan, which should fit Rodgers’ skills.” Wilson will battle Calvin Austin for the team’s WR2 role behind DK Metcalf this season. Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni said recently that Austin will enter training camp as the clear-cut No. 2 wideout with “everyone else battling for a spot” in a receiver committee. Back in May, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Steelers coaches are “counting on” Wilson to make the jump in 2025 after injuries limited him to just five offensive snaps in 2024. Wilson, entering his age-24 season, had 789 yards and 12 touchdowns on 49 catches in his final season at Michigan. He was 19th among all college wideouts in yards per route run in 2023.

Azzanni heaped praise on Austin, who he deemed “a legit NFL receiver” who has been “overlooked” by the league and members of the media. Austin, according to Azzanni, will “bite your face off” as a run blocker and has show great toughness as a pass catcher. “Everyone else is battling for a spot and it’s going to be by committee,” Azzanni added. While Steelers coaches have talked up second-year WR Roman Wilson as a potential No. 2 wideout behind DK Metcalf, Azzanni made it sound like Austin as the WR2 is a done deal. Austin in 2024 had 36 receptions for 548 yards and four touchdowns. He was targeted on around 15 percent of his pass routes, a low rate by any standard. Whoever takes over as the No. 2 receiver in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense will struggle to be fantasy relevant in a low-volume pass offense.

Wilson, per Fowler, “looks like a different player than from his injury riddled rookie campaign.” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said in February that the team has “a lot of confidence” in Wilson, the 84th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft who played just five offensive snaps as a rookie after suffering a serious hamstring injury in October. Wilson, entering his age-24 season, had 789 yards and 12 touchdowns on 49 catches in his final season at Michigan. He was 19th among all college wideouts in yards per route run in 2023. An injury-free offseason could position Wilson as the clear No. 2 receiver behind DK Metcalf in 2025.

Wilson was, per Khan, “in position to play if we needed him to in the postseason.” After Pittsburgh used the 84th overall pick on Wilson, he was essentially redshirted, playing just five offensive snaps all season. He remains a dynasty consideration on a wideout depth chart that has little of fantasy note besides George Pickens. But we’re going to need to see more than this small amount of offseason hopium on Wilson to see him as fantasy-relevant in redraft leagues.