Who Should I Start? Roman Wilson or Jalen Royals

Saturday, August 16, 11:03 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson finished with two receptions for 72 yards on four targets in a 17-14 preseason loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The second-year pro did all of his damage in the contest's opening quarter. He ran past multiple defenders to secure a 42-yard deep ball from Mason Rudolph and later found space on a crossing route to gain 30 yards on a pass from Skylar Thompson. After a rookie season plagued by injuries, Wilson has shown promise heading into the 2025-2026 campaign. With teammate Calvin Austin III (abdomen) currently injured, Wilson has a clear path to earning the WR2 role behind D.K. Metcalf. The 24-year-old will look to build on this strong performance in Pittsburgh's final exhibition game against the Carolina Panthers.

Wednesday, September 3, 8:59 AM

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Jalen Royals (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. The fourth-round pick has been sidelined for multiple weeks with knee tendinitis and did not travel with the team to Brazil on Wednesday. Royals was expected to provide depth behind third-year starter Rashee Rice, who is suspended for the first six games. With both Royals and Rice unavailable, veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster is positioned to take on a larger role. Smith-Schuster, who rejoined the Chiefs in 2024 after Rice suffered a season-ending LCL injury, has an opportunity to stabilize the passing game early in the year. Royals' next opportunity to make his NFL debut is against the Philadelphia Eagles. - Nathan Harvey