The Pittsburgh Steelers savvy old veterans shined in the team’s 20-13 season opener victory against the Atlanta Falcons.
Edge rusher T.J. Watt made history with another 2-sack, interception performance. To top it off, Watt returned the interception for a touchdown.
Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward was great too. He batted three passes down at the line of scrimmage and posted three tackles.
But linebacker Payton Wilson shouldn’t fly under the radar. Wilson led the Steelers defense with 13 tackles, recording nearly double the amount of anyone else. Two of his tackles went for loss.
Watt raved about the third-year linebacker to reporters in his postgame press conference Sunday.
“Payton’s crazy, man. He’s a crazy human being, a great dude,” said Watt. “But on the football field, he really has an on and off switch.
“He flies around. He makes a lot of plays, and not surprised by him either.”
Wilson’s 13 tackles were one shy of a career high. He posted 14 combined tackles against the Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills last season. He also had 13 tackles versus the Minnesota Vikings in 2025.
T.J. Watt Raves About Steelers LB Payton Wilson
Watt was complimentary of a lot of Steelers defenders Sunday, and for good reason. The group really had a great debut in Patrick Graham’s new system.
But Watt addressed Wilson separately, as he received a question on him.
The former third-round pick showed flashes in his first and second season. But he mostly excelled playing pass defense.
After Sunday’s game, Heyward said on his podcast that the team needed to be better against the run. But interestingly, according to Pro Football Focus, Wilson’s posted his best grade in run defense during Week 1.
Wilson’s top attribute is his speed, which is often going to make him an ideal linebacker to matchup against tight ends and even some receivers. But if the linebacker can also excel against the run, then he could really take off in the Steelers defense.
The defense would also be all the better for it if Wilson could contend for post-season accolades.
Steelers Defense Showcases Depth in Week 1
Pittsburgh’s season opener win against the Falcons was a flashback of sorts, with Watt and Heyward starring. But there was a big difference in one area for the two stars Sunday — number of snaps.
Watt played just 38 defensive snaps while Heyward received 32. Neither player ever lined up for that few of snaps in a game last season.
Even when Watt was returning from his collapsed lung in January, he played more than 38 defensive snaps.
But the 2026 Steelers defense is deeper, and with the team’s defensive stars older now, it will be better in the long run if Pittsburgh has Heyward and Watt on a snap count at times.
“The rotation that we have, as you guys saw, getting less reps but trying to exert as much as you possibly can in those reps make it mean that much more,” said Watt. “It helps us play and be a lot more fresh today.”
T.J. Watt Speaks out on Rising Star on Steelers Defense