Rookie linebacker Payton Wilson was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the draft this April. Although his career is very young, he’s starting to get comfortable in the league. More importantly, he’s getting comfortable with head coach Mike Tomlin.
Wilson wasn’t projected to be a starter coming into the season but seeing rotational snaps in the team’s nickel packages. Most areas of the Steelers’ roster have dealt with injuries. As a result, Wilson has been on the field for nearly half of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps this year, 48-percent in total.
With his presence on the defense growing, Wilson has had some solid moments so far in his young career. As his role continues to get larger, he’s getting more comfortable with Tomlin as well. While speaking on ‘The Arthur Moats Experience With Deke Podcast‘ on Saturday, Wilson spoke about Tomlin’s consistency.
“He’s calling dudes out in the team room,” Wilson said. “Whether you like it or not. And it’s really cool to see. You hear consistency with people, like the greats, they all had consistency. This dude don’t change. Win, lose, draw, Monday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, he don’t change. So, I just think that’s really cool.”
It’s hard to be a head coach in the NFL. It’s even harder to keep your job for nearly two decades like Tomlin has. Throughout that period, the Steelers have gone through tons of ups and downs. Every season brings something different, with the rash of injuries across Pittsburgh’s roster being an example of that. The only way for a head coach to manage that is to be consistent, and we’ve seen Tomlin do that.
Another reason Tomlin’s been so successful with the Steelers is because of the connection he makes with his players. Wilson spoke about that as well.
“Obviously, you can tell that he’s a players’ coach,” Wilson said of Tomlin. “He truly cares for his players and wants the best for ’em. I mean, he’s just amazing. Everything that you hear about him is exactly right.”
Wilson is enjoying his time in Pittsburgh. He’s making a decent impact while on the field as well. Wilson has 13 solo tackles and 20 total tackles this year. With all the injuries on Pittsburgh’s defense right now, his role is continuing to increase.
