Ever since the Pittsburgh Steelers lost Ryan Shazier to his unfortunate injury, their linebacker room has been nothing short of a mess. They have tried everything to fix the room: low-level free agents, early draft picks, and even top-of-the-market veterans. Still, the group consistently underperforms.
When Payton Wilson was taken in the third round, he was supposed to change that narrative.
Many thought Wilson would have been an earlier pick in that year's class. His impressive size, rare athleticism, and explosive college tape made him a great prospect. Some lingering knee issues caused him to tumble down the draft, though, allowing him to land in the Steelers pocket.
Unfortunately, his development hasn’t gone to plan. Now, entering year three, it feels like the Steelers are stuck between a rock and a hard place as to what to do with Wilson.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need much more out of Payton Wilson in 2026
Wilson’s rookie season was on target. He earned a role in rotation and made some big plays during his limited snaps. Expected to make the jump to full-time starter last year, he was everyone’s candidate for a breakout entering his sophomore season.
That never materialized. Wilson was given the reins next to Patrick Queen for the first two weeks, and the run defense was shredded. The team quietly benched Wilson in base defense for the majority of the season after that.
He never felt like he had found his footing in year two. The big plays were lacking, and the fact that the team had to demote him early in the season was damaging.
This year, not much has changed despite the team as a whole evolving. Essentially, the same linebacker group is being brought back with the same positional coach. Sure, the defensive coordinator is different, but there is a lot more of the same in this room than new.
Year three will be pivotal for Wilson. In fact, it will control the outlook for the linebacker room for the foreseeable future, as Wilson will want a new deal next summer.
There are three scenarios that seem likely for Wilson: He continues to falter and only plays a bit part on defense, he has a true breakout year and is discussed as a top linebacker, or he has an improved year from 2025 similar to what Keeanu Benton did last year.
The only good outcome is if he truly breaks out in 2026. Like Zack Baun a few years back, it can be risky paying a player for one year of production, but if Wilson has that good of a year, no one should blink at giving him a new deal.
On the flip side, if he falters, you clearly won’t give him an extension. That makes linebacker a huge need, though, as Wilson won’t be in the long-term outlook, and Queen likely also departs next offseason as he will be a free agent. Once again, you are spending significant resources on the position.
The last option is arguably the worst. Wilson has his best season as a pro, but he still has too many questions to answer to comfortably give him a new deal. You enter 2026 with a need there and a lot of uncertainty.
Wilson doesn’t just need to have a good season in 2026; he needs to truly break out. If he doesn’t, the linebacker room will remain a mess for the foreseeable future, and Wilson will go down as a failed draft pick for never being able to develop into a complete starter.
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