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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Patrick Queen told reporters after Sunday’s game the NFL gave Payton Wilson a drug test after his breakout Week 9 game.
Second-year linebacker Payton Wilson had a performance for the ages Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
The 25-year-old led the Pittsburgh Steelers with 14 combined tackles, including 10 solos. He also had two pass defenses and an interception. One of his pass defenses led to another pick.
For the performance, Wilson is a strong candidate for AFC Defensive Player of the Week. But immediately after the game, the NFL subjected the linebacker to something else — a random drug test.
That’s what fellow Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen told reporters after the Steelers defeated the Colts 27-20 on Sunday.
“Patrick Queen informed us the NFL gave Payton Wilson a drug test after the Steelers game today,” wrote The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Christopher Carter on X.
In so many words, Queen told his teammate the drug test was a sign of respect.
“He’s got a freaking drug test. I told him, ‘That comes when you ballin,’” said Queen.
Payton Wilson Helps Ignite Steelers Defensive Turnaround
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin emphasized that there really wasn’t much difference between the team’s defense Sunday than the previous two weeks. But the results were much difference.
Wilson was one of the main reasons why.
The Steelers didn’t have any takeaways in the previous three games. Against the Colts, Wilson caused two himself, as Pittsburgh recorded six turnovers in the blowout win.
It was the first time the Steelers had at least six takeaways in one game since 2010.
Wilson has shown flashes of being a playmaker this season. Most notably, he chased down Minnesota Vikings receiver Jordan Addison in the open field to temporarily save a touchdown. The effort helped the Steelers defense eat more clock at the end of the Week 4 victory.
But Wilson, like many Steelers defenders, has taken his lumps this year. Not on Sunday, though, as the performance was arguably the best of Wilson’s career.
According to the Pro Football Focus player grades, which fans must always take with a grain of salt, Wilson’s best game this season was in Week 8. But his top two performances this season, based on the PFF grades, were the past two games.
It would be a huge boost to the Steelers defense if Wilson continues on his trajectory from the last two weeks. Even if that means Wilson needing to undergo more future drug tests.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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