While Sunday box scores showcase dynamic catches and game-changing playmakers, much of a young receiver’s development happens in quiet, unheralded reps after practice ends. For Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson, that hidden development cycle has been fast-tracked thanks to backup quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Appearing on “The Christian Kuntz Podcast,” Rudolph detailed his deliberate, post-practice routine designed to sharpen the team's depth receivers. Adopting a veteran habit taught to him by former NFL backup Trevor Siemian, Rudolph regularly pulls younger wideouts aside to run through the week's installs.
"Trevor Siemian taught me," Rudolph explained. "He said, 'Hey, you need to start taking the call sheet after practice. Grab a few
of the P squad receivers who haven't ran their butts off all day, like Mr. [DK] Metcalf and Roman Wilson and [Michael] Pittman and company, and just pick a few plays from each period that you really want to hit and walk through them, throw them, talk through them, hit the run cans, hit the checks.'"
Beyond physical reps, Rudolph actively tests Wilson on coverage reads and complex situational checks to build mental speed before game day.
"I found myself calling guys like Roman and doing a little bit of a quiz," Rudolph shared. "'Hey, what's this new formation of the week? Remember on Dice, right, two jet. What do you have? What happens if it's quarters? What happens if it's cover two?'"
That steady diet of post-practice walkthroughs and pop quizzes is paying tangible dividends for the receiver.
"Knowing how [Aaron Rodgers] operates, I've really seen all those guys get more comfortable and grow, and Roman Wilson has grown a ton," Rudolph noted. "He's playing freer because he knows it. He studied."
In an offense driven by pre-snap adjustments, Rudolph's unsung mentorship is proving instrumental in giving Wilson the confidence to play fast and break out.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: How Mason Rudolph is secretly helping Roman Wilson break out in Year 2
