The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without 2024 third-round pick and wide receiver Roman Wilson for multiple weeks due to an ankle injury, but the rookie is already showing at least some progress as he works his way back.
According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Wilson, who is dealing with a sprained ankle, was spotted without his walking boot and only has a sleeve on his ankle. Per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wilson isn't favoring his injury, either.
Wilson was first spotted in the boot during the team's "Friday Night Lights" practice a few days ago. Head coach Mike Tomlin revealed he was wearing it as a precaution, but his shedding it and not favoring the ankle are positive signs nonetheless.
"He can be characterized as week-to-week at this juncture," Tomlin said, per Sports Illustrated's Noah Strackbein. "We've got him walking around in a boot for precaution."
Also in gym clothes catching and doing light stuff today. #Steelers https://t.co/tX6H4azbyo
— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) August 4, 2024
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are going to take their time with the rookie, but the expectation is that he's going to be ready for the start of the season, which falls on Sept. 8.
For a team that already has several question marks at the wide receiver position — the rookie is among them despite a strong showing early on at camp — the Steelers can ill-afford to not have all hands on deck when the season starts.
While it looks like Wilson will be good to go by then, the concern now becomes how ready he's going to be, as missing significant practice time could impact his ability to pick up the offense, and his chemistry with whoever is under center.
