Pittsburgh Steelers rookie ILB Payton Wilson played 24 snaps in his NFL debut, which was one more than Elandon Roberts. Coaches never shied away from their plans to put him on the field right away, but that was a heavy volume right out of the game for a defense that ostensibly already had a starter. This past week, the team cautioned that weekly game plans will dictate different snap distributions, but the rookie isn’t going anywhere.
During his 24 snaps, Wilson recorded three tackles, including one that saved a touchdown on the opening drive. If you’re going to peak in your NFL debut early, it might as well be with a play like that.