The Pittsburgh Steelers took a 16-7 lead into halftime against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. It appeared Aaron Rodgers was on his way to a win against his former team. But the Steelers’ defense collapsed in the second half as Pittsburgh was outscored 28-9. Green Bay put together four straight scoring drives in the fourth quarter and Rodgers’ revenge game was ruined.
But despite the loss, the Steelers may have found a new offensive weapon. Second-year wideout Roman Wilson exploded for 74 yards and a touchdown on four receptions in Week 8. It was a career-best performance that nobody saw coming. Well, nobody other than Rodgers.
“I told him last Wednesday, ‘It's going to be your week this week,' just kind of a feeling,” the veteran quarterback said of Wilson’s big day, per The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo.
Roman Wilson emerges as potential WR2 for Steelers
“I was really proud of [Wilson] in the game for the couple of reaction plays that he made. We just need to see consistency from him. But it starts with practice, and I thought [last] Thursday was a really good practice for him. And today he had another nice practice,” Rodgers added.
The Steelers have been waiting for a No. 2 receiver to emerge behind DK Metcalf since trading away George Pickens. Calvin Austin III was the early favorite to fill the role. But he’s taken a backseat to tight end Pat Freiermuth and running back Jaylen Warren in recent weeks. Now Wilson has reentered the conversation.
Pittsburgh selected the wideout from Michigan in the third round of the 2024 draft. However, Wilson’s rookie year was a washout with a preseason injury delaying his pro debut. He ultimately played one game and failed to record a catch before landing on IR again.
The young receiver appeared destined for the doghouse in 2025. Rodgers was seen yelling at Wilson during training camp. The dust up was due to a miscommunication during a drill. And the four-time MVP didn’t hold back from laying into the wideout.
However, Rodgers also called Wilson “special” and took an interest in coaching up the sophomore receiver. Now, perhaps those offseason reps are paying off.
The 4-3 Steelers have lost two straight games but still lead the AFC North. Pittsburgh will host the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Wilson will have another opportunity to secure the WR2 role as Rodgers attempts to take advantage of the Colts’ 29th-ranked passing defense.
