"The Wait Continues": Once-Promising Steelers Playmaker At Risk Of Tumbling Down The Depth Chart

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a relatively ugly performance on Friday evening as the New York Jets won handily by a score of 17-0. There were both positives and negatives to take out of the matchup; however, the team certainly still has a lot of work to do as the regular season approaches. Head Coach Mike McCarthy prides himself on running an efficient offensive operation, and not putting any points on the board was far from ideal. There will be things that get cleaned up as the collective prepares for its final exhibition contest against the Buffalo Bills on August 27th.

The quarterback situation could have drastically changed on Friday night with Mason Rudolph being a clear winner despite not even playing a snap. There was plenty more to take out of the loss, however. A lot of young guys have been getting opportunities to prove themselves, and some are creating more questions rather than solidifying their roles within the offensive operation.

A player who has always been one to keep an eye on is Roman Wilson. He has not done a great job throughout his professional career, and finds himself battling for playing time in his third NFL campaign. Versus the Jets, the pass-catcher wasn't all too impressive. He hauled in just two passes for 16 yards, and could be partially blamed for Will Howard's two interceptions.

In an article that put together some analysis following the Steelers' second preseason showdown, The Athletic's Mike DeFabo noted that Wilson is hurting his chances to get significant snaps come September. The beat writer wrote that Aaron Rodgers is not going to have any faith in the wide receiver if he continues to make simple mistakes.

"We’ve been waiting for Wilson to make some plays in a stadium to support what’s been happening at training camp. The wait continues," DeFabo wrote. "Targeted five times, he caught two passes for 16 yards. If his route details aren’t on point, Rodgers isn’t going to trust him. His camp has been excellent. His production in games has underwhelmed."

While Wilson has consistently been lauded as a practice hero, the performances in games have been far from impressive. The Steelers' starting signal-caller is known for being incredibly demanding, and there's a strong chance that Germie Bernard is a more preferred option as a rookie. Time will tell how the positional battle shakes out, but, right now, Wilson is not someone who is showing that he has what it takes when the pads are on and competition is at its highest.

Wilson is running out of time to earn the trust of the coaching staff and quarterback room. Once the meaningful football begins, there won't be anymore experiments in games. If the wideout is unable to have a breakout performance versus the Bills, it might be an uphill climb for him to get on the field consistently.

Bernard is the key factor in all of this. If Rodgers really begins to value his talents over Wilson's, then the former third-round pick could tumble down to the fourth or fifth option in the receivers' room. This will be storyline to follow as the Steelers get set for Week 1, and Wilson not being too involved in the offense remains a possibility because of his inconsistencies.

Steelers Really Need To Get Wilson And Rodgers On The Same Page

Depth is something that is extremely valuable to have at the professional level. Pittsburgh could suddenly look pretty light with the receiving corps if Wilson is not capable of being trusted in key moments. There is not much time left to get everything corrected, but, as DeFabo noted, it is not looking too good for Wilson with the Steelers getting very close to the beginning of the regular season.

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