With veteran linebacker Patrick Queen set to sit out Saturday night’s preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road, a glimpse at the new starting inside linebacker duo won’t be had for the Black and Gold. The good news is that the Steelers will get a good look at second-year linebacker Payton Wilson on the road.
Wilson, who is emerging as a standout player in training camp, will take on the bulk of the communication duties for the defense on Saturday night. On the road in a stadium environment with all eyes on him, it’s a big test. But it’s one that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin knows he’s up for.
Speaking with reporters Thursday to preview the preseason opener, Tomlin stated that Wilson has already been handling the communication aspect in practices when the Steelers give Queen the day off.
It’s been natural for Wilson, and Tomlin is excited about what’s to come with the second-year linebacker.
“Every day that we give Patrick Queen off, he instantly becomes the quarterback of the defense. The coach to player goes through him,” Tomlin said of Wilson, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “You have to develop leaders, and where he is in his career is appropriate. And so that’s what I mean when I say we have different agendas when we give guys off days. It’s not only about the preservation of those guys, it’s about the elevation of others, whether it’s in the number of snaps that they get or whether it’s their roles.
“And in this case, he is quarterback in the defense and being a hub of communication and some of the leadership things that really, quite honestly, he displays in a very natural way.”
Leadership and communication do come naturally to Wilson. They were on full display during his time in college at North Carolina State, and even as a young player last year, he showed signs of being a strong communicator and a player that guys gravitated towards.
Now, entering Year 2 as the clear-cut starter next to Queen, more is being put on Wilson’s plate defensively. He’s having a strong training camp and looks like the next great Steelers linebacker, too.
That increased workload will include communication aspects. The Steelers struggled to communicate down the stretch last season, which coincided with the five-game losing streak to end what once looked like a very promising season. They’re working hard to correct that in training camp to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Wilson is a big part of that. He’ll get a big audition in stadium on Saturday night, too, with Queen sitting out with several other veterans. The Steelers know what to expect from Wilson, though, having seen it in training camp practices to date.
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