Payton Wilson got off to an excellent start in 2026 during the Steelers’ win over Atlanta. Wilson’s 13 total tackles led the team by a wide margin.

Vince Williams owns the Steelers record for the most solo tackles in a game with 14. He was happy Wilson didn’t break his record, but he expects it to happen at some point this year.

“He was flying around the field when he played against the Falcons, man. Thirteen tackles. Five solo tackles, two for a loss. How aggressive he was in the running game,” Williams said Thursday on SNR’s Steelers Blitz show. “He only missed one tackle out of that, too. Which I was kind of happy about, because he almost broke my record… At some point this season, he’s gonna get it. Without a doubt, I think he’s gonna get it.”

Several of Wilson’s tackles were assists rather than solo tackles, so he wouldn’t have broken Williams’ specific record for solo tackles. But there looked to be much more pep in Wilson’s step than we’ve seen previously. He showed a lot of potential during his first two seasons, but things just weren’t consistent enough. Last Sunday, it looked like he was playing with confidence.

There’s a long season ahead, but Payton Wilson starts his journey with momentum. He consistently made solid tackles, didn’t really get caught out of place, and was able to fill and plug his gaps against the run. He was part of a defense that mostly contained a very talented running back in Bijan Robinson, who touched the ball 32 times.

The Steelers are in an interesting spot at inside linebacker. Wilson was good, but so was Patrick Queen, who’s in the last year of his current deal. Williams thinks the two may be competing for a spot back on the roster next season.

“I think it’s an audition. Basically, they’re only gonna keep one of these guys,” Williams said.

The 2027 season will mark the final year of Wilson’s rookie contract, which means next offseason would be the time for a contract extension to come. If he continues to perform as well as he did last week, that very well could be in his future. And if Wilson does have a great season, that makes it a lot easier for the Steelers to allow Queen to walk, if they don’t want him back.

Of course, there’s a long season ahead. Payton Wilson did allow six of eight targets against him to be completed last week for 66 yards, after struggling to defend the pass last year. But he was a real force against the run. Williams thinks Wilson’s season could become a historic one.