Pittsburgh Steelers Exit Meeting: ILB Payton Wilson
Experience: 1 Year
The Pittsburgh Steelers viewed Payton Wilson as a long-term talent with a potential short-term career. That’s how the entire league viewed him, which is why he lasted until the third round of the 2024 draft. He has some medical concerns that raise the issue of durability, but in the third round, they felt comfortable with the risks.
And he already played substantially as a rookie, amassing 492 defensive snaps, even if not quite a full-time player. In his first season with the Steelers, Payton Wilson registered 78 tackles, three for loss, with a forced fumble, two recoveries, one touchdown, an interception, and two passes defensed. He did a little bit of everything, short of recording a sack, which will surely come.
But what role do the Steelers envision for Wilson this year? They still have Patrick Queen, whom they signed to be their every-down linebacker. While they appear intent on keeping Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts is a pending free agent.
If the Steelers re-sign Roberts and retain Holcomb, what does that mean for Wilson’s playing time? Does he take precedence over those veterans, or does that further the use of a rotation? The Steelers have preferred a rotation in recent years, but what if they have two every-down-capable players? Holcomb was that type before his injury, but they couldn’t trust him with that now.
Payton Wilson did not have an unblemished rookie season for the Steelers, by any means. He is very talented, physically gifted, and intelligent, but rookies make mistakes. He missed tackles, failed to shed blocks, lost his way in coverage, and all the usual issues you have with young players.
And so what’s next should be telling. How big of a step forward does Wilson take this offseason, and how do the Steelers manage it? Are they prepared to play him for 1,000 snaps a season at the expense of a more robust rotation with more experienced players?
And what are the implications of that in the long run if indeed his durability becomes a concern? That is the reason every team but the Steelers were prepared to pass on Payton Wilson going into Day 3. They thought it was worth the risk, but nevertheless it remains a risk. So what if he only has a four- or five-year career before his body forces him out of the game? Well, at the very least, it should mean they got a few good years out of it.
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at home, the inevitable result of another early playoff exit. This is a repeated pattern for the organization, with no clear end in sight. As the Steelers conduct their own exit meetings, we will go down the roster conducting our own. Who should stay, and who should go, and how? Who should expect a bigger role next season, and who might deserve a new contract? We’ll explore those questions and more in these articles, part of an annual series.
