It wasn’t too long ago that if you were a young player, especially on the Steelers’ defense, you wouldn’t see the field much. That was the culture once in place under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Cowher and then early on in Mike Tomlin’s tenure.
But in recent years, especially as the league has shifted to a young, more urgent league, younger players are starting to see the field more and more for the Steelers’ defense and are handling key roles.
That’s especially true this year with rookie linebacker Payton Wilson playing a key role defensively for the Steelers, as well as undrafted rookie free agent cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr.