UNITY TWP, Pa. — Payton Wilson turned in an admirable newcomer's effort last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers . Turns out, he racked up 78 combined tackles, the second-most of any AFC rookie, while still playing tentatively.
Ahead of the Steelers' first padded practice of the new season, at St. Vincent College, the second-year linebacker was asked Tuesday afternoon what the biggest difference in his game is this year.
"Just confidence. Just being able to give guys like Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt a call without kind of hesitating, being like, 'Well, (what) if I give them the wrong call?'" Wilson said. "Knowing the defense like the back of my hand and getting back to just playing the game rather than thinking the whole time, worrying about making a mistake.
"Now it's just about making the plays and making the big plays rather than worrying about being wrong."
Only Patrick Queen (129), DeShon Elliott (108) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (96) had more combined stops than Wilson did in 2024. Wilson added three tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
He posted 10 tackles in the Steelers' Week 18 loss to Cincinnati , tying a career high. His eight solo takedowns in that one are the most he's had in a game as a professional.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson tackles quarterback Jalen Hurts in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 15, 2024 — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
"When I started playing a lot towards the end of the year, those last few games — obviously, I was rotating the whole year — but the confidence just comes with reps," Wilson said.
Working beside Patrick Queen has also helped Wilson settle in. Queen was a steady presence in the middle of the team's resistance last year.
"I wanna be out there with him every single snap," Wilson said. "Last year, PQ played literally every snap. … It was kinda cool to see after the games how dog tired he was and how much he put on the line for the team. I just wanna be able to do the same thing.
"When I walk off that field, I wanna be able to say that I gave it everything that I completely had, the coaches trusted me fully and I played the whole game."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers' Payton Wilson Trying to Think Less This Season
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