Steelers breakout candidate is primed to steal the show in training camp

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are growing impatient with Roman Wilson, for good reason too. His rookie season was a wash thanks to injuries. Then in his second season, he didn’t quite rise up to the impact the Steelers would have hoped. With a new regime in house, though, that could be the very thing that turns his NFL career around. Mike McCarthy is good at getting the most out of unsung heroes. Look at what he did in Dallas with Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin and even Ryan Flournoy. 

This will be Wilson’s last chance to prove himself, and it’s very possible he turns some heads during training camp. He’ll be in a battle with Germie Bernard for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. It won’t be an easy battle to win. The Steelers drafted Bernard hoping he can be a reliable threat. Wilson can still prove he has value to this offense. Now that he doesn’t have the pressure to carry the receiving load with Michael Pittman Jr. as DK Metcalf’s running mate, he might be able to turn into a sneaky weapon for the Steelers in 2026. 

Why Roman Wilson could break out this summer during training camp

Wilson has nothing to lose, truthfully, this training camp. His replacement is already in-house, and he hasn’t exactly reserved a roster spot on this team yet. Don’t look at his production in 2025 and use that as your basis for whether you think Wilson should be back in a Steelers uniform for the 2026 season. If you look at his usage, he actually could turn into a real weapon in this offense. 

Let’s compare Wilson to Turpin, who I think could be a decent comparison when it comes to usage and the type of impact he could have. Wilson played 33 percent of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps in 2025. He had just under 170 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 12 catches. The stats say he’s not involved; the usage says plays aren’t designed to come his way. He had 21 targets all of last year. 

As teams figure out how to handle Metcalf and Pittman, that could open the door for Wilson. In 2025, Turpin played 36 percent of Dallas’ snaps and had just under 400 receiving yards. Yes, he’s more of a return specialist, but McCarthy found ways to get him involved. Wilson isn’t the gadget type of player like Turpin is, but McCarthy will get playmakers the ball. 

Wilson has to use this training camp as a way to show McCarthy how he can have minimal but timely impact on this offense. Aaron Rodgers is back for one final curtain call, and truthfully, this offense isn’t in a bad position. The Cowboys ran a pass-heavy offense during his time there, so expect the Steelers to use all their perimeter weapons. Wilson will have more than enough chances to earn a roster spot and change this Steelers offense.

Roman Wilson, Germie Bernard can thrive together in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s biggest problem has been receiver depth over the last few years. After drafting Bernard, they actually have real depth. It would make a lot of sense for them to see it through with those two, plus Metcalf and Pittman. This is the deepest this room has been in quite some time. This core has the potential to be one of the best in the NFL. Regardless of how much Metcalf and Pittman are the focal point of the offense, the door is always open for Wilson to be a key contributor in this offense. 

Wilson hasn’t really gotten a chance to show just how good he can be with the Steelers. His rookie season was wasted away due to injury. Last year was his first chance to actually play and carve out a role. Now as a third-year player, he knows what it takes. All he has to do is perform. Work ethic was never his problem, staying healthy was. It’s exactly why this summer he’ll have the perfect chance to prove he has value in Pittsburgh still.

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