The Pittsburgh Steelers have an older roster, but there are several young players on both sides of the ball they’re counting on as well. One of them, Kaleb Johnson, made a massive mistake during last week’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, allowing a ball to roll freely into the end zone on a kickoff and be recovered by Seattle for a touchdown. However, Johnson’s not the only rookie who’s had some bad moments. One that hasn’t stepped up to expectations yet is second-year linebacker Payton Wilson.
With Elandon Roberts gone, Wilson is a starter for the first time in his NFL career. He hasn’t exactly done a great job through his first two games. However, he’s still in the starting lineup, while Johnson has now been benched for his mistake. Former NFL GM Doug Whaley thinks that’s a problem.
“And here’s where I struggle sometimes with coaching,” Whaley said on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday. “Lack of consistency. Kaleb Johnson makes a mistake. And he gets taken off as a kickoff returner. Payton Wilson is getting eviscerated physically, but you’re gonna keep him in there? Just give me consistency. That’s all I’m saying.”
Wilson brought some of those high expectations on himself this offseason. He called himself one of the best cover linebackers in the world, and his ability to play both the pass and run is why the Steelers felt comfortable starting him.
He hasn’t been great so far. Wilson has been targeted five times and has allowed a completion on all five. When targeted, he’s allowing a passer rating of 118.7. He also looks lost against the run, and already has four missed tackles this year after missing seven in all of 2024. He was especially bad on Kenneth Walker III’s 19-yard touchdown to ice Sunday’s loss.
It’s only been two games, so the coaching staff is counting on him to step up as the season continues. It can also be hard for a second-year player to step into a starting role, with opponents having more film on you. Still, that begs Whaley’s question, with Johnson losing playing time after just two mistakes.
The simple reason is that Johnson’s mistake was much more drastic. It handed the Seahawks seven points, and it’s just an inexcusable mistake that NFL players shouldn’t be making. It really does hurt Johnson’s rookie year, though. He’s only had two carries through two games, and without being on the field for kickoffs, he may not see any action at all during a time in which he needs reps to develop as a player.
Wilson also has not been good. But this is sort of an apples-to-oranges comparison. Neither are living up to their hype at the moment, but the Steelers are significantly more familiar with Payton Wilson, and he didn’t make as massive a mistake. That said, if his poor performances continue, he may see a loss in playing time at some point down the road.
