Payton Wilson doesn’t know how many snaps he’ll play with Patrick Queen, but he’s always learning from the older veteran. Of course, “older” might not be the appropriate term, considering they’re only months apart. But Queen has four years on him and knows what it’s like to run an NFL defense.
The second-year man makes sure to watch and take notice when he does. Wilson has sung Queen’s praises since the moment he came here, but that hasn’t changed after a year. The feeling, for what it’s worth, appears to be mutual, and their on-field rapport continues to grow.
“He’s one of the best in the league, one of the smartest I’ve been around,” Wilson said of Queen, via Pittsburgh’s DSEN. “If you watch him out here in practice and the game, there’s never any panic. There’s never none of that. That’s the one thing I’ve really taken away from him is, just, kind of being slow before you go. Just know before you go. The patience and professionalism that he plays with is really cool.”
Last season, Queen only came off the field if he needed a breath or to nurse an injury. Otherwise, the Steelers kept him on the field for every snap. While that’s a role Payton Wilson would love to have, he knows every snap is an opportunity to grow.
As a rookie in 2024, Payton Wilson played 492 defensive snaps. He logged 78 tackles with an interception, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. His interception was particularly impressive, taking the ball away from the target.
It’s unclear how the Steelers envision Wilson’s evolution from Year 1 to Year 2. While they did not re-sign Elandon Roberts, who primarily split time with Wilson, they have other options. Rather than re-sign Roberts, they signed Malik Harrison, who has a similar skill set. They also hope to have Cole Holcomb back after he missed the 2024 season due to injury.
But perhaps it’s all in his hands. Payton Wilson said that he was taking all of the reps with Patrick Queen during OTAs. That might not be worth much in May, but we’ll see what training camp looks like. In the meantime, he said he and Queen are learning a lot about each other. He knows what Queen is doing, for the most part, and vice versa.
Queen was the Steelers’ splash free agent signing a year ago, but his first season in Pittsburgh was underwhelming. Perhaps with a full year in the system and a second-year Payton Wilson, the duo can really take off.
