Payton Wilson Is Losing Snaps. Here’s Why.

Payton Wilson Steelers Raiders X-Factor Mike TomlinAt the start of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season, the inside linebacker rotation was clear. Patrick Queen played on every down, Elandon Roberts in the base 3-4, and Payton Wilson in nickel. Simple and predictable. Over the course of the season, slowly first and then quickly, that has changed.

Queen still is an all-situations player coming off his best game of the season against the Washington Commanders. Roberts still plays in base. But he’s also eating into Wilson’s nickel snaps, taking his biggest chunk away from him in Sunday’s game.

Per our charting, here are the number and percentage of of nickel snaps Roberts and Wilson have played…