Just two games into his second season, and his first as a full-time starter, Payton Wilson is already facing doubts. Doubts about his readiness for the role, about his size and ability to hold up against the run. Heading into Week 3, the conversation is whether the team will use other linebackers to eat into his snaps.
Maybe even using more defensive backs to get him off the field seems plausible. The Steelers haven’t been using their dime package, likely due to injuries. But with Jabrill Peppers, that might change, at Wilson’s expense. Or we could see Cole Holcomb at linebacker—even Ja’Whaun Bentley, eventually.
“I’ve been underwhelmed with what I’ve seen from Payton Wilson in terms of getting off of blocks. There was so much hype that he could be a three-down guy”, beat writer Mike DeFabo said on 93.7 The Fan. “Typically, when you’re talking about inside linebackers and you say they could be a three-down guy, you’re talking about, can they cover?”.
“That’s not a question with Payton Wilson. He can cover very well, but because he’s a smaller, leaner body type, I feel like he’s been getting pushed around a bit”, he continued about Wilson. “I wonder if, eventually, Ja’Whaun Bentley can be part of that solution going forward”.
Though not small, Payton Wilson is more of an athletic middle linebacker than a thumper. The problem is, so is Patrick Queen, and the Steelers don’t have a defensive line that keeps their linebackers clean. That’s proving to be an extremely unfortunate combination right now, prompting speculation about changes.
Both Cole Holcomb and Ja’Whaun Bentley are bigger bodies, though both are coming off injuries. Holcomb, with the Steelers, missed all of last season while still recovering from a 2023 knee injury. With the Patriots, Bentley suffered a torn pec in Week 2 and missed the rest of the year. Payton Wilson has his own college injury history, which hurt his draft stock, but he can’t use health as an excuse for his play.
In June, Payton Wilson said he thought he had a good shot at being an every-down linebacker for the Steelers this year. So far, he is coming close in terms of playing time, but his play hasn’t demanded that he be on the field for every snap. Until that changes, you will hear talk of what else the Steelers can do.
