Most of the conversation around Roman Wilson has already turned sour, and it’s not hard to see why. The Steelers wideout has had a rough start to his NFL career, with injuries wiping out most of his rookie season and his 2025 production stopping well short of 200 receiving yards.
That kind of start can bury a young receiver fast, especially after Pittsburgh kept adding to the room this offseason. Wilson, once a third-round pick with some buzz, now looks like a player who could slip into the background if nothing changes.
But there’s still a path for him to matter, and it comes down to usage. A new coaching staff gives him a fresh chance, and under Mike McCarthy, a small adjustment could be enough to get him moving in the right direction.
At Michigan, Wilson was heavily tied to the slot. Over the final two years of his college career, he lined up there on 77% of his pass snaps.
That kind of usage made sense for what he was at the time: a receiver whose speed could stress defenses vertically, even if his game had some clear limitations. It also helped cover up some of the issues he could run into against press coverage.
The NFL has asked him to do something very different. In 2025, Wilson lined up wide on 79.9% of his pass snaps, almost the mirror image of his college deployment. From the slot, he was targeted only three times and turned that into two catches for seven yards.
The result was predictable. Once he was pushed into a role that didn’t fit nearly as well, his weaknesses showed up, and he faded out of the offense. He drew just one target over the final six weeks of the season.
That’s why the slot still matters here. Rookie Germie Bernard is currently projected as Pittsburgh’s starting slot receiver, and there’s no reason to push him out of that spot.
But Wilson should get some chances there, too. If McCarthy gives him that kind of work, Wilson could still become the kind of productive piece fans imagined when he arrived in Pittsburgh.
A 1,000-yard season still feels out of reach. But becoming a useful slot option? That’s a much more realistic way for Wilson to salvage his place in the Steelers’ offense.
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Steelers Fans Just Got A Surprising Mike McCarthy Prediction
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For that kind of recognition to become real, the pieces around McCarthy have to come together quickly. Brooks pointed to Aaron Rodgers settling in at quarterback and Patrick Graham helping the defense find its edge again, which puts the spotlight on whether this group can look more complete than it did a year ago. McCarthy has built a winning career, but the award has somehow never been part of it, and this season may be the one that decides whether that changes. [Read more 🡒]