After suffering a concussion in Saturday’s preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills, rookie linebacker Payton Wilson is out of protocol and declared himself “100 percent” healthy. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Wilson said doctors have cleared him.
“I’m 100 percent. I’m ready to go,” Wilson said via The Trib’s Chris Adamski.
The above video shows Wilson discussing the game slowing down for him, not his health, but he presumably confirmed that to reporters early in the interview. Despite Mike Tomlin saying during his press conference that he had no update on Wilson, the fact he’s being interviewed is a sign in itself of his health. Had he still been in concussion protocol, Wilson wouldn’t have been available to the media.
Wilson fell to the third round of this year’s draft for other medical concerns. A history of knee and shoulder injuries created concern over his longevity, many teams around the league believing he wouldn’t make it to a second contract. But Pittsburgh felt comfortable with his medicals and took Wilson, a first-round talent, at the end of Day 2.
Largely, Wilson has lived up to expectations. Hard-working, athletic, and tough, he had a good training camp. There are areas of his game to refine, getting more comfortable in coverage and improving his block shedding against the run, but Wilson attributed preseason reps to his getting more comfortable with the game at this level.
“I’ve really enjoyed the preseason because it’s really slowing the game down a lot,” Wilson said via Adamski. “It’s not like we’re jumping into Week 1 and you have to adjust on the fly. Week 1 for me was super fast. I was super eager. And then Week 2, kinda felt like, ‘Hey, it’s slowing down. The defense is coming to you, you’re able to play fast.’ Just going to continue to build so when I go to Atlanta I’m able to fly around and play like myself.”
Preseason is a benefit the college game doesn’t offer. In college, there are spring games and fall game but no true exhibition games that don’t count, though Power 5 schools often schedule low-level or FCS teams as their warmup. But those games still count with a focus on scheme and team. In the preseason, it’s all about the individual evaluation.
So far, so good on Payton Wilson, and being healthy for the finale will only increase his readiness against the Falcons. Wilson should be part of a rotation with Elandon Roberts. If the Bills game was any indication, Roberts will play in the Steelers’ base 3-4 defense while Wilson will be worked into nickel packages.
