Payton Wilson is coming off one of his best games as a pro, leading the Steelers with 10 tackles in their Week 7 win over the New York Jets. While it was an impressive game for a rookie, Wilson doesn’t want to be treated as one. While he said he knows he’ll make some mistakes and the game is still slowing down, Wilson wants to be held to a higher standard.
“It’s obviously still slowing down, every single rep, every practice. But I’ve kinda had the mentality since camp started that I don’t want to really be looked at as a rookie. Like, hey, this guy’s gonna make mistakes, but he’s flying around. I want to be held to the same standard as someone who’s been here for 10 years. I want to know every single thing that’s going on. I want to fly around and just be able to play as fast as I can,” Wilson said via Aaron Becker of Yardbarker on Twitter.
It’s the right mindset to have, and it’s one that’s served Wilson well as he acclimates to the NFL. He’s played a lot as a rookie and been a core piece of Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker room with Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts.
While Payton Wilson doesn’t want to be treated as a rookie, rookie mistakes will happen. It’s natural for guys to adjust to the speed of the NFL and assimilate into their role in a different environment, but Wilson doesn’t want those mistakes to be treated as “oh, he’s just a rookie.” It’s a good mentality and one that will serve Wilson well as he continues to progress throughout this season and going forward.
He’s already impressed his teammates with his play, and his potential is exciting. The Steelers haven’t had much success in recent years finding reliable linebacker talent, but Wilson looks like he could be someone who has a long future in the middle of Pittsburgh’s defense.
While it’s easy to think about and get excited about what Payton Wilson can be, he’s still an important player for the Steelers this season. If he continues to play like he did in Week 7, he will see more playing time and continue to evolve in his role now as a rookie. He seems to be getting more comfortable, and eventually, those rookie mistakes will be reduced. Then Wilson can really shine in Pittsburgh’s defense, which will continue to make an already strong defense even better.
