Oct 12, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson (10) warms up before the game at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers Might Have New Starting WR

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Nov 18, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have a new WR2. After holding onto the spot all season, Calvin Austin III took a backseat to a player many have been wondering about, and the continuous growth of the second-year wideout makes you question if the trend will continue.

Austin didn't enter the Steelers' Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals until the 18th offensive snap. By that time, Roman Wilson had already played 11 offensive snaps in the ball game. When it was all said and done, Wilson played 57% of the offensive snaps, or 37 total. Austin played 29% of the snaps of 19 total.

Now, the Steelers have done this with other positions, seemingly giving the reigns to one player over another for a week and then switching things up the next week. But Wilson's progression within the offense has been notable, and the coaching staff - and his quarterback - continues to push how much they believe in him.

"I told him last Wednesday, 'It's going to be your week this week,' just kind of a feeling," Aaron Rodgers said after Wilson's season-high performance against the Packers in Week 8. "And then Thursday he had his best practice of the season. Even in that, there were still three or four real coachable moments. So, I told Ro, I've liked him since the first time we got to know each other out in Malibu, and I told him back then 'I'm going to coach you to your potential and not to what I'm seeing.' So, I'm going to hold him to a high standard, and I was really proud of him in the game for the couple of reaction plays that he made. We just need to see consistency from him."

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Why Roman Wilson?

The answer to why Wilson is easy. The Steelers selected him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft and told him right from the jump that he was needed to make an impact on the team. He wasn't able to as a rookie, dealing with injuries throughout the season.

This year, things are different. Obviously, Austin had the upper-hand coming into the season with a reputation in Pittsburgh, but Wilson fits a lot of what the Steelers are trying to do.

He's one of the best young blocking wide receivers out there and has the speed to take on defenders deep. He's working on his route running, but has shown he can make impact catches and that he's not afraid of contact with the football in his hands.

The future likely includes a lot of Wilson. And maybe, with a shift in the offense, the future is starting to leak into the present.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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