Pittsburgh Steelers rookie linebacker and third round selection Payton Wilson will wear No. 41, according to the Twitter account @nfl_jersey_num, a reliable source for all things player-digits related .
Brett Gombita was the first to report the news.Â
As the account notes, S Jalen Elliott was currently wearing No. 41. According to the team website, Elliott still has No. 41. But OL Tyler Beach switched from No. 76 to No. 69 after first round pick Troy Fautanu was selected and it’s likely Elliott will change as well. He’s worn different numbers since being signed by Pittsburgh last training camp, sporting No. 16 throughout the summer, though that number is currently taken by WR Quez Watkins.
Assuming Wilson is now wearing No. 41, and of those who wore No. 41 in-game, the last to do so was RB Qadree Ollison for the two games he was active in 2023. More notably, it was the number LB Robert Spillane had during his Steelers’ career before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders ahead of the ’23 season. Other notable players to wear it in Pittsburgh include CB Valentino Blake, E Lowell Perry, and HB Johnny Lattner.
Payton Wilson wore No. 11 in college, digits he wasn’t going to grab in the NFL. That’s currently worn by WR Van Jefferson and Pittsburgh probably wouldn’t have given Wilson the Patrick Queen treatment even if the jersey was available. So far, OT Troy Fautanu and Wilson will have new jersey numbers compared to what they wore in college though C Zach Frazier will keep the No. 54 he’s sported since high school. WR Roman Wilson wore No. 1 at Michigan and there’s zero chance he gets to keep that with the Steelers, who don’t hand the number out.
Wilson was taken 98th overall by the Steelers. Named college football’s best linebacker in 2023, he fell due to injury concerns over his knees and shoulders.
