The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some struggles on the defensive side of the football through five weeks of the 2026 season. The secondary has lost key pieces due to injuries and has underperformed, but its output in Week 5 gave reason to be optimistic. The pass rush has been inconsistent, especially in the last two games. The linebacker play has been decent, but questions remain about the abilities of starting linebackers Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson. Wilson has been somewhat underrated this season, performing well in pass coverage and giving maximum effort, but he still has one major flaw.
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Payton Wilson tackles Olamide Zaccheaus at Acrisure Stadium in 2026.
Wilson was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He showed plenty of flashes during his rookie year, but struggled with filling gaps and taking poor tackling angles. He began to shore up these issues during the 2025 season as he recorded career highs in tackles and sacks and looked like he was finding his rhythm.
So far in 2026, it has been more of the same, with Wilson looking like the athletic off-ball linebacker that Pittsburgh drafted in 2024. He has been flying all around the field and is seemingly part of almost every play. During the Steelers' Week 5 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Wilson arguably had his best performance of the season. He recorded 10 total tackles and broke up multiple passes down the field. He stayed in stride with the Colts' pass catchers and made plays that most linebackers lack the speed and coverage skills to make.
While Wilson has been solid, and perhaps even a bit underrated, he still struggles with consistency. Sometimes, it seems as though he gets lost during a play or commits too heavily to a gap, becoming a nonfactor.
During a recent episode of Kaboly + Mack Live, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly discussed Wilson's reputation as an NFL linebacker.
"Payton Wilson is a lot better than people give him credit for," Kaboly said. "Not many linebackers are able to defend a pass 30 yards down the field. The only issue is that the consistency is not there."
We have seen this from Wilson dating back to his rookie season. When the speedy linebacker puts himself in a good position, he routinely makes plays. When he fills the correct gap or takes a good angle, opposing players have very little chance of evading him. The only problem as mentioned is that he has been inconsistent in his movement during the early portion of plays, often getting caught behind the ball or taking a poor angle.
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Steelers' Payton Wilson makes an insane interception against the Ravens.
Wilson has all the tools to become one of the better off-ball linebackers in the NFL, with him being one of the fastest at the position. Wilson is known for his blazing speed and athleticism, as he recorded the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash time in combine history for a linebacker and tied for first among linebackers in the 2024 class in the 10-yard split.
If Wilson can continue to address his weaknesses, he will be a major weapon for the Steelers' defense. Efficient linebacker play has been hard to come by for Pittsburgh since the career-ending injury to Ryan Shazier, and the hope is that Wilson is next in line to become the next great linebacker in the Steel City.
Steelers Bring Back Fan Favorite To Bolster The Linebacker Room
Following Pittsburgh's Week 5 victory, the team brought back veteran linebacker Elandon Roberts by signing him to the practice squad. Roberts was initially cut from the 53-man roster before the season began, a move that shocked many fans. Roberts is a weapon in the run game, making a name for himself by being a hard-hitting run stuffer. It was surprising to see him go, especially considering the fact that he had spent time with Pittsburgh in previous seasons and made a big impact on the defense. His return could help Wilson and Queen both maximize their skill sets while allowing Roberts to do what he does best: defend against the run.
It will be interesting to see whether Pittsburgh elevates him from the practice squad when the Steelers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.
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