It wasn’t too long ago that if you were a young player, especially on the Steelers’ defense, you wouldn’t see the field much. That was the culture once in place under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Cowher and then early on in Mike Tomlin’s tenure.
But in recent years, especially as the league has shifted to a young, more urgent league, younger players are starting to see the field more and more for the Steelers’ defense and are handling key roles.
That’s especially true this year with rookie linebacker Payton Wilson playing a key role defensively for the Steelers, as well as undrafted rookie free agent cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr. That’s a continuation of what has happened in recent years, particularly in 2023, as cornerback Joey Porter Jr., nose tackle Keeanu Benton and outside linebacker Nick Herbig had key roles for the Black and Gold.
For Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, who didn’t play much at all in his first two seasons in the league, those young players handling key roles for the Steelers are a testament to their being more ready coming out of the collegiate level than ever before. With guys like Wilson and Bishop, the contributions have helped the Steelers “tremendously.”
“I think they come in a lot more ready. And they’re spending a lot of time in watching film, learning the playbook, and if they’re up to the task, they’re taking advantage of it,” Heyward said of the contributions from younger players, according to video via Steelers.com. “I wasn’t fortunate enough to play early, but these guys have been definitely able to do it, and it’s helped us out tremendously.”
The contributions of Wilson and Bishop, particularly, have been huge.
So far this season, Wilson has played 335 snaps for the Steelers defense as that third linebacker behind Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts. He’s played quite a bit in sub-package, too, and has made a bunch of plays. On the year, Wilson is up to 51 tackles, has one interception on the season, and returned a fumble for a touchdown in Week 13 against the Bengals, giving the Steelers the final score they needed in the shootout win.
Bishop, on the other hand, has seen his snaps reduced in recent weeks due to the return of veteran Cameron Sutton from suspension, but that doesn’t lessen the impact he’s had on the season. Bishop has played 443 snaps on the year for the Steelers and has three interceptions, including two on Sunday Night Football against Aaron Rodgers in the Steelers’ blowout win.
Bishop also had an interception against the New York Giants to clinch the Monday Night Football win in Week 8.
Those two young players have fit in seamlessly with the Steelers’ defense and have held down key roles on one of the best defenses in the NFL. That’s no easy task, especially as a rookie. That’s a credit to the work ethic, football IQ, and abilities of guys like Wilson and Bishop.
