Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson left Tuesday’s training camp practice with an apparent injury. While the severity of Wilson’s injury is unclear, the Steelers can hardly afford to lose options on what was already a shallow WR depth chart.
What happened to Wilson on Tuesday, and what does the rest of the Steelers’ wide receiver room look like?
Steelers Rookie WR Roman Wilson Injured at Training Camp
Wilson appeared to be injured at Tuesday’s Steelers training camp practice, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Michigan product took a handoff on a jet sweep but fell awkwardly after being hit by Pittsburgh defensive back Anthony Averett. The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo spotted Wilson heading to the Steelers’ locker room on a cart.
“It was unfortunate we had an injury today, man,” head coach Mike Tomlin said.
“Roman hurt his ankle on the tackle, and so we’ll have more information regarding the length of his status in terms of how long he might be out.”
Fortunately, Wilson’s injury doesn’t appear serious, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. He’s being classified as week-to-week.
Rookie WR Roman Wilson appeared to be injured on a jet sweep during seven shots. He left practice on a cart. pic.twitter.com/C1n5easDtT
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) July 30, 2024
Wilson, a third-round pick in April’s draft, struggled during the Steelers’ offseason work. However, the 6’0″, 180-pound WR had been the early star of Pittsburgh’s training camp practices.
Wilson started to receive first-team reps last week; reports from camp suggested he was getting open constantly.
“(Wilson) separated various routes from the slot, including out routes, slot fades, a dig, crossers, and a drag route,” PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh wrote on Saturday. “The Steelers have started experimenting with him playing on the outside, too.”
Wilson won a national championship with Michigan in 2023 after posting 48 catches for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final collegiate campaign.
Steelers WR Depth Chart
George Pickens remains the Steelers’ WR1 after hauling in 63 catches for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 while leading the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch. He ranked 21st among wide receivers with 2.05 yards per route run, finishing as one of 24 NFL wideouts with 2+ YPRR.
Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin had been working as Pittsburgh’s second and third receivers before Wilson started receiving first-team reps this week. Journeymen like Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller are further down the Steelers’ depth chart.
Pittsburgh’s passing attack will also include tight end Pat Freiermuth and running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, but depending on Wilson’s outcome, the club might have to explore outside options.
Best Available Free Agent WRs
We don’t know the severity of Wilson’s training camp injury. Hopefully, the rookie wideout didn’t suffer a serious injury and can return to practice soon.
However, the Steelers’ WR options behind Pickens were already problematic. If Wilson is sidelined for a while, Pittsburgh might have to consider adding a free agent pass catcher.
Here are the best available wide receivers on the open market:
1) Michael Thomas
2) Hunter Renfrow
3) Corey Davis
4) Julio Jones
5) Russell Gage
6) Richie James
7) Jamal Agnew
8) Alex Erickson
9) Byron Pringle
10) Jakeem Grant
Thomas was dominant as the New Orleans Saints’ WR1 at the end of the 2010s, setting an NFL record with 149 catches in 2019. However, injuries destroyed the better part of four seasons for Thomas, and the 31-year-old missed the final seven games of the 2023 campaign with a knee injury.
Two years removed from a 103-1,038-9 line, Renfrow played just 35% of the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive snaps in 2023. Still, the Raiders couldn’t find a taker for Renfrow at last year’s trade deadline, and he’s generated no known interest on the free agent market. Nevertheless, he should be among the first calls for NFL teams with WR injuries this summer.
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Davis stepped away from football in 2023 but applied for reinstatement in March. The former first-round pick is still only 29 and could have suitors once his NFL status is cleared up.
Agnew and Grant are former All-Pro return men, while James, Erickson, and Pringle also have experience handling kickoffs and punts.
Fantasy Implication of Wilson’s Injury
The Steelers took Wilson in the third round, hoping he would make an instant impact on their starting lineup. Pickens will be the primary opportunity earner in this offense, but they need someone to soak off the targets left behind by Diontae Johnson.
Wilson (16.4 yards per catch last season at Michigan) is the favorite to do that, with Jefferson (on his third team in two seasons) the primary competition. The WR2 role in this offense is nothing more than a flier in fantasy football leagues. If Wilson’s injury lingers, it’s unlikely that a second wideout will attract much attention in fantasy drafts.
An injury to Wilson could add some safety to Freiermuth’s volume profile. New Steelers OC Arthur Smith featured tight ends at a reasonable rate while he was in Atlanta. If Pittsburgh doesn’t have a reliable secondary pass catcher, Freiermuth will be the team’s best option in fantasy starting lineups.