The Pittsburgh Steelers surprised many when they did not heavily pursue a solid number two receiver (WR2) after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers early in the 2024 offseason. They had been linked to a rumor that they were interested in working out a deal for San Francisco 49ers receiver, Brandon Aiyuk, but after that saga dragged on for months, he finally simply re-signed with the 49ers.
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Steelers' George Pickens with a big catch against the Falcons.
This meant that the Steelers entered the season with George Pickens as their top receiver, but then had a gap in talent between him and their depth pieces: Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller to name a few. There was hope that Roman Wilson, a third-round selection in 2024, would be ready to step up and make a difference. Unfortunately, Wilson has been sidelined with a sprained ankle since early in training camp. While he had cleared the hurdles that would allow him to get the green light to play in the Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, Head Coach Mike Tomlin decided he would be listed as inactive. Wilson has some catching up to do, learning the plays now that he is healthy enough to practice.
Fans are eager to see what Wilson can do. More than anything, they want to see someone else take some pressure off Pickens. However, Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith did spread the ball around. His offensive plan against the Chargers involved everyone receiving, not just the wide receivers. He also threw practically as many passes to running backs and tight ends. In fact, Calvin Austin III had more yards than Pickens, with four receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Pat Freiermuth was the third-leading receiver with four receptions for 33 yards. Fields lofted an additional beautiful pass right into Freiermuth's hands at one point, but he couldn't reel it in.
Brian Batko, the Steelers reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, answered some questions about the wide receivers in his popular chat column. After Austin's solid performance, a fan wrote in wondering if that means the talk of finding a new number two receiver will die down.
"I always thought that chatter was a bit overblown, but I'm also not going too crazy over yesterday," wrote Batko. "It was a good work by Austin and Scotty Miller. Need to stack those, though. I still think they need some more variation in their receiving corps. I was a big believer in Van Jefferson coming out of camp, but it just hasn't been there through three games, albeit not much of a chance yesterday because he got poked in the eye early. Austin, Miller and Roman Wilson once he's healthy, are all nice pieces, but fairly overlapping skill sets."
Batko added that he believes it is possible that one of the players, such as Brandon Johnson or Quez Watkins from the practice squad, might get another look from the coaching staff. Tomlin has repeatedly said that he is confident in the group that the team has.
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Receiver Roman Wilson during the Steelers' 2024 rookie camp.
Steelers Can't Afford Any More Injuries
It isn't just the injury to Wilson, the wide receiver, that has been a thorn in the Steelers' side so far this season. Quarterback Russell Wilson also suffered a calf injury and has been replaced by Justin Fields. On top of those injuries, there have been others: guard Isaac Seumalo, tight end MyCole Pruitt, and punter Cameron Johnston to name a few.
To make matters worse, several players suffered injuries in the win over the Chargers, such as edge rusher Alex Highsmith, running back Jaylen Warren, and cornerback Cory Trice Jr. Pittsburgh desperately needs a break from the injury bug.
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Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith during Week 3 of 2024 in Pittsburgh.
These injuries to Highsmith and Warren are especially concerning. Highsmith and T.J. Watt are an unstoppable duo on defense. However, Nick Herbig was able to step up big time for the team, including having two sacks in Week 3. The Steelers have used Warren and Najee Harris in tandem, bringing good results. While Harris has a strong start to the season, there are concerns over his ability to return. The hamstring injury has been nagging him since the preseason, and his performance has been affected.
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