Steelers' Payton Wilson Describes Difficult Point Of Rookie Year In 2024: 'This Isn't The Football I Love'
The Pittsburgh Steelers have some exciting young players on the roster that seem like they could be foundational pieces of the future of the franchise. One of those players is inside linebacker Payton Wilson, who the franchise was able to draft in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Wilson was initially thought to be a fringe Day 1 pick, but some medical concerns dropped his draft stock as it was revealed during the NFL Scouting Combine that he was missing an ACL in his right knee. Pittsburgh didn't care too much about that, as the organization submitted the card with Wilson's name on it with the 98th overall pick.
Rookie walls are always something that is talked about during a player's first season in the NFL. Many fans don't realize it, but rookies are going at 100 percent for well over a year by the time their season comes to an end. A player goes through their final college season, intense training for the NFL Combine, and the upcoming year, straight into a media circus that is the NFL Draft -- and then basically right to rookie minicamp. There is no stopping, so it is very easy for rookies to hit a mental or physical wall. Wilson was asked about this by his teammate
"As we all should be, I was really emotionally invested to each outcome of every game," Wilson said. "It was really taking a toll. Especially those three we lost in 10 days. I was like, 'What is happening? This isn't the football I love.' Just getting my head beat in every week. So it was just balancing a lot of that."
It sounded like Wilson's rookie wall was more mental than physical, and it happened right when Pittsburgh was forced to go through an absolute gauntlet of a schedule to end the year. Pittsburgh played three games over the span of 10 days, with one of those games coming against the Baltimore Ravens and the other two being played against the two teams that wound up meeting in Super Bowl LIX.
Pittsburgh lost its final four games of the regular season in 2024, and the team was then embarrassed by the Ravens in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. Throughout that stretch of games, the defense struggled to stop the run, which meant things were not going well for Wilson and the rest of the unit.
That time of year was horrific for Pittsburgh. The team lost its chance at winning the AFC North and hosting a playoff game, and the team instead had to travel to play its number one rival in the postseason. That time began to make Wilson question his love for football, which he has clearly regained by the way he has been playing in 2025.
Steelers' Payton Wilson Has Impressed In His Second Season
Wilson has played very well in his second year with the team, and he seems to be hitting his stride after a strong performance in a win
It is no overstatement to say that Wilson was completely dominant in Pittsburgh's win over Indianapolis, and hopefully that type of play continues from the young defender.
“YOU NEED TO BE SILENT!” — Karoline Leavitt’s Tweet Against Shedeur Sanders of Cleveland Browns Backfires Spectacularly as He Reads Every Word on Live TV, Turning the Nation’s Eyes and Leaving the Studio in Absolute Silence!!
In what quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of 2025, Shedeur Sanders, quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, took a moment of public criticism and turned it into a powerful statement of leadership and strength. The incident began when political commentator
During a live interview just days later, the host asked Sanders about leadership, his approach to criticism, and his role as a rising star in the NFL. Instead of deflecting or brushing it off, Sanders did something no one expected. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a printed copy of Leavitt’s tweet, and began reading it aloud. The studio fell silent, the weight of the moment hanging in the air.
“You need to be silent,” Sanders read slowly, his voice calm and unwavering. “Dangerous. Reckless. Pretending to be a role model.”
He paused after each line, letting the words hang in the room before folding the paper and placing it on the desk.
Then, with the same composed leadership that has made him one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the league, Sanders began to speak.
“Silence doesn’t mean weakness,” Sanders said.
His voice remained steady and firm, not a hint of anger or defensiveness. “When people tell me to be silent,” he continued, “I think of every player and every kid who’s been told the same thing — ‘Stay quiet. Don’t take chances. Don’t speak your truth.’ That’s not who I am. And that’s not who this team is. We speak with our actions.”
The host, visibly moved, quietly said, “That might just be the most powerful thing we’ve heard on this show.”
What made this moment so unforgettable wasn’t just Sanders’ words, but the way he delivered them. He didn’t respond with bitterness or mockery. He didn’t engage in a personal battle with Leavitt. Instead, Sanders turned the moment into a masterclass of leadership — showing that true power lies not in reacting to negativity, but in rising above it with grace and integrity.
Within hours, the clip went viral. Social media exploded, with fans and analysts praising Sanders for his calm, dignified response. ESPN called it “the most dignified moment on live television this year.”
Nick Chubb, a veteran leader on the Browns, tweeted, “That’s how you handle criticism. Shedeur Sanders just showed us what real leadership is — calm, confident, and unwavering.”
By the next morning, headlines across the country read:
“The Day Shedeur Sanders Silenced Hate Without Raising His Voice.”
Leavitt quickly followed up with a tweet claiming her words had been “misinterpreted,” but by then, it was clear: the world had already witnessed Sanders’ powerful response. He had turned a moment meant to diminish him into a lesson on resilience, leadership, and self-respect.
The phrase “Be calm. Be clear. Be Sanders” quickly went viral, as millions admired his quiet strength.
Shedeur Sanders had just redefined leadership in today’s world — proving that the strongest responses aren’t always the loudest. Leadership is about integrity, staying true to yourself, and never letting the noise drown out your true message.
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