The Pittsburgh Steelers left Sunday with a win, but their receiver room took another hit that could stretch well beyond one game.
Roman Wilson went down with a finger injury in the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s 34-22 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, and the latest update points to a longer absence. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Wilson “will miss multiple weeks” and added that Wilson “is still getting more information on the injury and will seek a second opinion.”
That puts more pressure on a Steelers passing game that was already short-handed. Pittsburgh placed wide receiver and offseason acquisition Michael Pittman Jr. on injured reserve Saturday because of a foot injury, and now Aaron Rodgers may be down another target for a while.
Wilson had quietly become part of the offense before the injury. In fewer than five full games this season, he caught 14 passes on 25 targets for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
The Colts game showed how much the Steelers had to lean on other pieces. Jaylen Warren piled up 188 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, while rookie Germie Bernard matched him with six catches. Rodgers finished 22-of-31 for 235 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
For now, the healthy options at receiver are thin. Fowler noted that “The Steelers currently are left with DK Metcalf, rookies Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen, and Brandon Smith -- who was elevated from the practice squad Saturday -- as their only healthy receivers,”
Pittsburgh’s upcoming schedule doesn’t leave much room to catch its breath. The Steelers visit the 1-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 18, then face the New Orleans Saints in Week 7 and the rival Cleveland Browns in Week 8 before their Week 9 bye. As of Monday morning, it appeared Wilson might not be back until after that break.
The trade deadline could become part of the conversation, too. Multiple receivers have been mentioned in recent rumors ahead of Nov. 10, though Marvin Harrison Jr. is no longer a possible fit for Pittsburgh after the Arizona Cardinals agreed to send him to the Houston Texans over the weekend.
In Other News...
Aaron Rodgers Made The Colts Loss Even More Annoying Afterward
The Colts frustration from Sunday carried into the hours after the game when Aaron Rodgers turned a Steelers win into one more reminder of how well Pittsburgh handled the moment. Rodgers was efficient throughout the afternoon, completing 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, and the victory helped keep Pittsburgh at 3-2 as the social-media chatter shifted from the box score to what he wore afterward.
Rodgers showed up in a shirt nodding to a longtime Mike Tomlin coaching reminder, a detail that only added another layer to an already aggravating result for Indianapolis. Even if the on-field damage was done, the postgame tribute gave the Steelers a little extra edge in the conversation and left the Colts with one more irritant from a loss they would have preferred to leave in the rearview. [Read more 🡒]
Quenton Nelsons Frustration Sums Up A Growing Colts Problem
The Colts left Pittsburgh with a familiar kind of offensive imbalance, one that put their best players in a bind. In a 34-22 loss to the Steelers, Indianapolis could never get its ground game moving, and Quenton Nelsons frustration after the game reflected just how quickly a stalled run attack can take over everything else around it.
Jonathan Taylor was held to 45 yards on 15 carries, and the lack of push in the run game forced Daniel Jones into a heavy workload with 44 pass attempts. For a team that wants to be physical first and control the pace, that kind of script is hard to ignore, especially when the rushing numbers never threaten to change it. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Still Have One Big WR Problem After Passing On Harrison Jr
The Colts spent the week circling a wide receiver market that had familiar urgency for a team still searching for answers on the outside. Indianapolis was reportedly in the mix for Marvin Harrison Jr. before Houston swooped in, and the move served as another reminder that the Colts are still trying to stabilize a position group that has been hit by injuries and uneven production.
For now, the depth chart remains thin enough to keep the issue front and center. With Alec Pierce still sidelined by a heel injury, Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Laquon Treadwell are carrying the top load in the passing game, which leaves Indianapolis in a familiar spot: needing help at receiver, knowing it, and still waiting to find the right addition. [Read more 🡒]