Pittsburgh Steelers Defender Detailed a Problem With Mike Tomlin's Staff

After 17 years, Mike Tomlin decided his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers should come to an end after a 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans. 

Tomlin had great success with the Steelers early in his career, winning the Super Bowl in 2008, his second season as head coach. His last postseason win came in 2016.

The 30-6 loss to the Texans was an extra frustration for the Steelers because the defense had played well in their Week 18 win over Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, allowing the team to win the AFC North over their division rival.

During his news conference on Monday, linebacker Payton Wilson told reporters that he noticed a difference with the new coaching staff under Mike McCarthy. The coaching staff is putting an emphasis on consistency, something that was an issue under Tomlin.

"I felt like my first two years, especially last year, there'd be a really good game on defense than the next game, not so much," said Wilson, via the Steelers. "It's something that the whole defensive staff has done a great job of harping on, it's just consistency.

"And I think the way that (defensive coordinator) Patrick Graham is installing things and the way the coaches are coaching it up, that we'll see more of that throughout this year. When we get to November, we want to be going up still, rather than this whole up and down thing. Just continuing to be more consistent."

Wilson likes the change of pace at practice, getting good at running the defense before moving on to the scheme instead of "just throwing a bunch of stuff here and there."

McCarthy's staff is making sure younger players know their responsibilities.

"When they ask a question, we need to answer it with a certain language, if not, it's the wrong answer," Wilson said. "So, making sure everybody's on the same page. I think he does a really good job of not assuming people know. 

"We do have a lot older guys on the defensive side that have been around for a long time, but he still goes over it and he's still very detailed in his work and it's awesome to be under that as a player."

Wilson, a third-round pick in 2024, is one of those young defenders for Pittsburgh. He made noticeable improvements in 2025, recording 126 tackles, two sacks, and six tackles for loss.

With a new energy from the coaching staff, Wilson could be set up for a breakout Year 3.