Steelers place Roman Wilson on injured reserve before Buccaneers game

The Pittsburgh Steelers placed wide receiver Roman Wilson on injured reserve Saturday, October 17, after a finger injury sustained against the Indianapolis Colts. The move rules him out for at least four games as Pittsburgh prepares to play at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Wilson had already been ruled out of the Tampa Bay game because of the injury, TribLive reported. Steelers Depot said the earliest he could return is Week 11 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The injured-reserve designation now makes his absence longer than the couple of weeks Steelers Depot said had initially been expected.

Steelers add two receivers to game roster

The team also signed running back Lew Nichols from its practice squad to the 53-man roster. According to TribLive, Nichols had been elevated for each of the previous three games and gained a combined six yards on two carries. Steelers Depot reported that Smith was elevated the previous week, playing 16 offensive snaps and four special teams snaps.

Wilson had caught 14 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns through the Steelers’ first five weeks, according to Steelers Depot. TribLive said his 188 receiving yards ranked third on the team. His placement removes a receiver who had contributed to Pittsburgh’s passing game while the team is dealing with other absences at the position.

Steelers Depot identified DK Metcalf and Germie Bernard as Pittsburgh’s top two available wideouts, with Smith and Johnson providing depth. It said rookie Kaden Wetjen was another option but had been used exclusively as a return specialist so far. Those personnel choices come ahead of Sunday’s game, the first of the four Wilson must miss under the injured-reserve rule.