The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to navigate not having three wide receivers from their season opener roster in Week 6. That’s not an easy task. It could be easier, though, if the Steelers get more production from a rookie receiver.
Not Germie Bernard. The second-round wideout is coming on strongly. He led the Steelers in receiving yards last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
But fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen hasn’t caught a pass yet in the 2026 regular season. Wetjen, who was a fourth-round pick, is one of two first-year playmakers for the Steelers that hasn’t contributed on offense.
Head coach Mike McCarthy, though, hinted that Wetjen could be part of the solution to the Steelers overcoming the loss of half their receivers.
“Yeah, definitely,” McCarthy said Wednesday when asked about Wetjen playing a bigger role. “I think just like anything, it’s, I go back to camp. We talked about the 90-man roster, the 68 players that are here, so we’ve got some good young guys that we’re working.
“How we’ll survive, I think it’s only fair to wait until the game, but I really like our young guys.”
Wetjen has not only not caught a pass, he hasn’t played an offensive snap through the first five games of his rookie season. But he might be forced to play a much more significant offensive role in Week 6 versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Steelers will be without Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek on Sunday, October 18.
Could Steelers Finally Use Kaden Wetjen on Offense in Week 6?
McCarthy didn’t 100% confirm Wetjen will be a significant part of the team’s offense this week. Given that he has played zero role on offense this season, that’s probably ambitious.
But it’s encouraging McCarthy didn’t immediately rule out the possibility Wetjen could play receiver.
Fourth-round rookies aren’t necessarily expected to contribute on offense immediately. Especially in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense, that’s rarely going to be the case.
But for Wetjen to completely focus on special teams and not play a single offensive snap despite dressing in every game the first month and a half is also rare.
The issue the Steelers have with Wetjen, though, is he didn’t really play on offense in college either. In three seasons at Iowa, he caught 23 passes for 197 yards. For the Hawkeyes, he also primarily focused on returning kicks.
Clearly, the Steelers don’t want to put Wetjen in a situation he isn’t ready for yet. Realistically, he might not be ready to play on offense until he gets a full offseason to prepare as a professional receiver.
But with the injuries stacking up at wideout, the Steelers might have to play Wetjen on offense in some capacity.
Despite his lack of opportunities early this season, the team’s coaching staff doesn’t sound like it has any qualms about Wetjen playing on offense.
“We have confidence in all of them,” offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio told reporters Monday when asked about Wetjen and the team’s practice squad receivers. “We’re not just coaching the guys that are playing or starting. We’re coaching them all.
“So, when they get that opportunity, we’re building that depth because you’re going to need them all at some point during the season.”
How Steelers Replace 3 Injured Wide Receivers
The good news is the Steelers will still have arguably their top two wideouts in the lineup. D.K. Metcalf hasn’t produced like a WR1, but he holds that role in Pittsburgh’s offense.
Pittman was supposed to be the team’s WR2, but that role has fallen more to Wilson and Bernard. With Wilson leaving in Week 5, Bernard stepped up to lead the offense in receiving.
Where the Steelers go for depth is the question. Wetjen and Eli Heidenreich are the only other healthy receivers on Pittsburgh’s active roster. Heidenreich, who was a 2026 seventh-round pick, caught a lot of passes during his college career at Navy but as a running back and slot receiver. He’s not going to play outside receiver Sunday.
On the practice squad, the Steelers have Brandon Smith, Brandon Johnson and Isaiah Hodgins. Smith made his Steelers debut Sunday as a practice squad elevation. With the New York Jets during 2024, Smith played with Rodgers, but Smith doesn’t have a catch in the NFL.
As likely as they are to feature Smith and Wetjen, the Steelers could play with two and even three tight ends more often because of their injured wideouts. Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington have each shined during the team’s offensive surge over the past three weeks. McCarthy could deploy the tight ends more often together in 12 personnel.
The Steelers also have veteran tight end Robert Tonyan, who caught 11 touchdowns in 2020 from Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers.
Pittsburgh will visit Tampa Bay looking for its first road win of the season. The Steelers-Buccaneers matchup will kickoff at 1 pm ET Sunday.
Steelers’ Mike McCarthy Drops Hint on Struggling Rookie Playmaker