The Pittsburgh Steelers had high hopes for Roman Wilson this season. The former third-round pick has gone from a second-year wide receiver poised for a breakout season on a team desperate for receiving depth to a healthy scratch after just 12 games. After acquiring Adam Thielen and elevating Marquez Valdes-Scantling for last Sunday’s game in Baltimore, Wilson was a healthy scratch as Pittsburgh instead opted to dress both veterans along with Scotty Miller.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko appeared on 93.7 The Fan on Saturday and offered some thoughts on the Roman Wilson situation. When asked if we will see Wilson play again this year, Batko said, “If everyone stays healthy, I doubt it.”
“It feels like he’s in some kind of doghouse or at least is no longer in the circle of trust,” Batko said, using a Meet the Parents reference.
Batko mentioned Thielen and Valdes-Scantling as being in QB Aaron Rodgers’ “circle of trust” and said it was “more of an indictment that Scotty Miller has leapfrogged him, so it feels like Roman is on the back burner”.
It’s clear that the Steelers value Thielen and Valdes-Scantling’s experience even though neither showed up in a big way on the stat sheet last Sunday. Thielen caught his sole target for a four-yard gain and Valdes-Scantling didn’t catch his only target. Miller only logged four snaps against Baltimore and earlier this week, head coach Mike Tomlin said that Miller’s role as backup punt returner factored heavily into the decision to dress him over Wilson.
If Wilson is a guy Pittsburgh still believes in, it’s a head-scratching move to value a backup punt returner over him. By all accounts, Thielen and Valdes-Scantling’s roles should continue to grow in Pittsburgh’s offense which could lead to Wilson being the odd man out in the wide receivers room. Pittsburgh passed for a season-high 284 yards last Sunday despite the minimal output from the new guys, but the overall success of the offense will likely mean status quo in this week’s game.
The Steelers have a lot more to worry about offensively than developing their young receiver but making him inactive for a critical game suggests that there’s a lack of trust in Wilson’s ability to contribute on a team that can use all the offense it can get. As the season winds down, Wilson will likely need to demonstrate in practice that he can be an asset on Sundays and work his way back into the so-called circle of trust.
