Steelers' Receiver Situation Better Than Many Think For This Surprising Reason

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin is known to be tight-lipped when it comes to sharing his plans with the media. However, in the case of the Steelers' 2024 starting quarterback, he's been about as clear as he ever has. He has maintained the entire time the franchise has had Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, that Wilson has the "pole position." This isn't really surprising, given that Wilson has been to nine Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl. 

Wilson suffered a calf injury and was out most of the time at the start of training camp. This allowed Fields to have a lot more opportunity to play as the starting quarterback than anyone expected. It has also divided the fan base even more on who should start. Fields gets much positive attention for his ability to scramble and pick up yards with his legs. 

When it comes to Wilson, one of the reasons many feel he should be the starter is because of what the Steelers currently don't have, a solid wide receiver two (WR2). The team traded Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers during the offseason. They did draft Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but even if he wasn't recovering from an ankle injury, it seems unlikely that he is ready to start in that role immediately. 

This leaves George Pickens in the one spot and a huge chasm between him and the rest of the group. Many are worried about how Pickens will be able to handle it all. If he is getting double-teamed, who can step up? While Calvin Austin III has shown some promise, most analysts believe that Van Jefferson is the closest thing the team has to a WR2. 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Christopher Carter recently appeared on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show. He was asked by host Adam Crowley if the plan is to just allow Jefferson to the two spot until Roman Wilson returns from his injury. Carter said that he isn't as worried about that group as others are, and that's thanks to new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith. 

"If the offense is more designed to hurt people schematically, in the way that I think Arthur Smith is trying to set things up the way he did in Tennessee, it will not be easy to just shut down George Pickens while you're also taking away the run," said Carter. "Because then there's play-action. This is why I think Russell Wilson is the quarterback you kind of want to run this offense. Russell Wilson is good at taking what's there, getting the ball out, finding the open guy, and letting that be the result."

Carter said this was an area with which former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger struggled. If the run wasn't there and the defense hemmed up Antonio Brown (or whoever was his top receiver), and he couldn't easily get the ball to someone like JuJu Smith-Schuster, the play would often collapse. He said Roethlisberger was not a "dink and dunker" who could always find a way to win with a lesser receiver. 

While Wilson might be past his prime, Carter said he finds ways to connect with all of his weapons. It won't matter as much which receiver becomes available under Smith because Wilson can find someone. According to Carter, Smith's offensive plan, if it is run similarly to how he ran it with the Tennessee Titans, won't flounder as much as people think without a second strong wide receiver. 

Steelers' Russell Wilson Thrilled To Have George Pickens

Recently, Wilson appeared on teammate Cameron Heyward's podcast, and one of the topics they discussed was Pickens. Wilson said that Pickens is a marvel. He has amazing ball instincts and is able to snatch the ball seemingly effortlessly. In his opinion, Pickens rarely even gets tackled.

There is no doubt that the third-year wide receiver is one of the best in the league at making contested catches. Pickens will need to step up this season as a leader in that room and take the opportunity he craves. 

What do you think about the wide receiver room under Smith and Wilson? Click to comment below. 

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