Steelers Payton Wilson puts an end to nonsensical draft rumor during rookie minicamp
Payton Wilson was arguably the only LB worthy of a first-round draft pick in 2024. But he fell to the bottom of the third round before the Steelers scooped him up and for one main reason:Injuries. Well, according to Wilson that didn't make a lot of sense: “I really don’t have a clue,” Wilson told […]
Payton Wilson was arguably the only LB worthy of a first-round draft pick in 2024.
But he fell to the bottom of the third round before the Steelers scooped him up and for one main reason:
Injuries.
Well, according to Wilson that didn't make a lot of sense:
“I really don’t have a clue,” Wilson told reporters when asked at rookie minicamp what it means that he doesn’t have an ACL. “When I went to the combine, that was the first time that I’d heard of it. I haven’t have problems with my knee since 2018. So, I mean, I’ve been blowing and going for a long time now with what they call a bum knee. In my head, I’ve been playing like this for so long, it doesn’t bother me. My knees don’t bother me. I’m not gonna have a problem with it.”
Now, even for those who have torn their ACL, they typically have it restructured and put back into place via surgery. To not have one at all is very rare as that ligament is responsible for connecting the knee to the leg.
But Pittsburgh once took a shot on another player without an ACL via Hines Ward, and I would say that turned out alright.
“I’ve talked to them [Steelers] here,” Wilson said. “They say because I’ve had a revision on my ACL that the graph, it just looks a little different. I definitely have a something in there. I would’t be able to run and cut the way that I do or move the way that I do, so a lot of it is just hearsay. But at the end of the day, I’ve been playing for five or six years just perfectly fine.”
The issue with Wilson is not a question of if he can play this season or next year or two years from now. The question is if he will play at a high enough level and be healthy enough to earn the elusive second contract that all players want.
Time will tell.
Steelers UDFA raises his stakes by sharing unforgettable quote from his past
No matter the industry every young person needs someone who believes in them if they want to be successful. But often, it's the motivation of the doubters that spark the drive within many people, and especially players. And for UDFA Beanie Bishop, that much was proven over the weekend: Beanie Bishop Remembers “I had a […]
