Steelers' Payton Wilson Exposes The Weaknesses From 2024 Are Gone: "Don't Have To Game Plan To Help People Out"

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense in the 2024 season started off hot and was a real force in the league. Early in the year, it looked dominant up front and were among the most physical units in football. With TJ Watt leading the way and a strong linebacker group behind him, the defense helped carry the team through a tough stretch, and looked like it could anchor a deep playoff run.

As the season went on and Pittsburgh started to face truly elite offenses, the defense began to struggle. The players had some trouble finishing tackles, gave up too many explosive plays, and lacked consistency in the secondary. In the Steelers' playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the unit gave up 299 rushing yards and looked completely overwhelmed. 

After the game, veterans like Patrick Queen and DeShon Elliott were vocal about the communication issues on defense and suggested the breakdowns were often caused by one player not doing his job. 

Many Steelers fans are hopeful those communication problems are behind them, and Steelers insider Chris Adamski noted an interesting moment during training camp this week. When speaking with linebacker, Payton Wilson, Adamski came away with the sense that communication is still a work in progress but has gotten better.

"Everybody kind of knows what happened at the end of last year with communication and stuff," Wilson said. "You see us flying around a lot more [in this camp] just because of the communication."

It sounds like Wilson is saying the communication has already improved significantly, and that progress has been noticeable throughout camp. The Steelers made the decision to move on from safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in a trade during the 2025 offseason, a transaction that caught many fans by surprise. Given the previous concerns about defensive breakdowns, some began to wonder if Fitzpatrick may have been the player responsible for those communication issues.

While Wilson didn’t directly point to any one individual, his comments seem to suggest that things are running more smoothly now. He spoke with confidence about the unit being more in sync and emphasized how everyone is on the same page. It may not be a clear answer, but the improvement he described has only added to speculation that the departure of Fitzpatrick played a role in cleaning things up on the back end, as well as other players such as Donte Jackson.

"You don't have to game plan to help people out anymore," Wilson said. "We now have guys who you can put on an island... and they're going to get the job done, and you can trust in that."

Wilson’s second quote was very telling. He made it clear that the Steelers didn’t have players last season who could be trusted to hold their own in one-on-one situations. Whether in coverage or during assignments, it sounded like the trust just wasn’t there across the defense.

Steelers' Payton Wilson Clearly Believes This Defense Is More Capable

Now, Wilson says the team feels much more confident in that area. He believes the Steelers, including himself, have players in both the linebacker room and the secondary who can step up, communicate, and be trusted when it matters most. That kind of confidence is important for a defense looking to improve in 2025.

Wilson didn’t name anyone directly, but the context speaks for itself. Looking at who the Steelers brought back and who they chose not to re-sign, it becomes easier to figure out which players he might be referring to. His message seems to reflect a belief that this year’s group is more reliable and better prepared. While he didn’t intend to take any shots at players from the 2024 defense, his last comment came across as an indirect one.

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