The Pittsburgh Steelers have gone through a ton of adversity when it comes to their 2024 draft class. Troy Fautanu was the team's first-round selection, and he suffered a knee injury during his first preseason game which forced him to miss a large chunk of training camp and the final two exhibition games. He started one game in Week 2 before suffering a knee injury that would end up keeping him out for the rest of the regular season. Pittsburgh desperately needs help at wide receiver, but the franchise won't be getting any from rookie Roman Wilson as he was placed on Injured Reserve on Monday.
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Steelers' Roman Wilson looks on during a game.
Fans have been looking forward to seeing the rookie in Wilson, but he has struggled to stay on the field. He sprained his ankle at the beginning of training camp and didn't fully return to practice until after the regular season begun. His missed time combined with additional injuries has caused Wilson to only be active in one game during the 2024 regular season, and he didn't see a single target. The rookie has been dealing with a hamstring injury for a couple of weeks, and now he has landed on Injured Reserve.
The #Steelers placed rookie receiver Roman Wilson on IR. https://t.co/3xrBcpuz4c
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 28, 2024
Wilson has faced setback after setback throughout his rookie season. The Steelers have struggled to get production out of the receiver behind George Pickens, and now their only internal option to fix that issue will miss at least the next four games.
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Steelers' Roman Wilson looks on before a game.
Steelers May Finally Get Aggressive At Trade Deadline
Wilson landing on Injured Reserve will likely make the Steelers a bit more aggressive to land some help at receiver before the trade deadline on November 5th. He will be out at least the next four games, but it could be longer than that as hamstring injuries are hard to predict.
The earliest game Wilson will be eligible to return for is against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 1st, Pittsburgh needs to add someone that can contribute and provide depth at the position in the meantime.
There are a couple options that should be available at the deadline for the Steelers to pursue, which includes players like Darius Slayton, KJ Osborn, and Kendrick Bourne. Pittsburgh likely won't be landing a big-name receiver like many fans had hoped for, but they should be able to find a player that can come in and contribute behind Pickens.
Steelers.com
Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson lines up and prepares to run a drill as the team practices during 2024 Organized Team Activities at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Wilson should be available late in the season, and may be able to make an impact if the Steelers are able to punch a ticket.
What do you expect from Wilson once he returns? Let us know in the comments below!
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