Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has confirmed that rookie wide receiver Roman Wilson was left out of the starting roster in the team’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite having cleared all medical hurdles following a high ankle sprain, Wilson was deemed inactive for the game, a decision that surprised many.
Wilson, who sustained the injury during the Steelers’ first padded practice on July 30, had been sidelined for seven weeks before he was fully cleared for practice. However, he has since fallen behind in learning the playbook and integrating fully into the team’s offensive system, which has slowed his progress.
While Wilson’s late recovery played a role, Tomlin pointed to a more immediate factor for the decision. The Steelers had planned a run-heavy game strategy against the Chargers, prompting the coaching staff to activate defensive lineman Dean Lowry instead. Since Wilson doesn’t contribute to special teams, he found himself left out of the game-day roster.
The rookie receiver will now need to catch up both physically and strategically as he works toward becoming a more integral part of the Steelers’ offense in future matchups.
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