The Pittsburgh Steelers secured the AFC North title after finishing with a 10-7 record. However, their postseason run ended at the hands of the Houston Texans, who beat them 30-6 in the Wildcard round. This was just another disappointing playoff exit for the Steelers, and something that Pittsburgh would want to improve in the 2026 season.

However, heading into the training camp, there is one big issue for HC Mike McCarthy and his Defensive Coordinator, Patrick Graham, according to a former Steelers player.

“You have to get better play from the linebacker position,” said Ryan Clark on the Mina Kimes Show. “I know PG [Patrick Graham] is gonna have to figure that out from the defensive coordinator standpoint. Joe Whitt Jr., who’s now the actual… He’s the assistant head coach and those are conversations I’ve had with him. I’ve had conversations with him about how do you fix the second level of this defense? That’s extremely important. Defensively, even though they’re old, the Steelers have a chance to be really good.”

Former Steelers Ryan Clark shares a great camaraderie with the team’s current assistant head coach, Joe Whitt Jr. And during their recent conversation, the two discussed the lingering issues around Pittsburgh’s second level of defense: the linebackers.

Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson at inside linebacker, alongside Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt on the outside edges. But it is Queen and Wilson who were always the point of discussion due to their concerning performances. Queen seemingly had a disappointing campaign. In 17 games, he allowed 829 yards on 74 receptions, giving up a 114.1 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks.

On top of that, Queen allowed 20.4% missed tackles on his account. Across the 1,180 defensive snaps, he failed to record a single interception and registered just one sack, which is a concerning stat for the Steelers. Queen finished with a 43.5 overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade, ranking 78th among 88 qualified linebackers.

In comparison to Queen, Wilson seemingly had a better 2025 season. He came out as the team’s primary tackling machine, leading the defense with 126 tackles. However, his season also had its own set of problems. Wilson struggled consistently against the run, forcing the coaching staff to routinely rotate him out for depth players like Malik Harrison and Cole Holcomb. He gave up 45 receptions on 52 targets for 410 yards and two touchdowns in coverage.

Due to this, Payton Wilson earned a 52.6 overall PFF grade, placing 65th out of the 88th qualified LBs. But why is this a headache for Mike McCarthy & Co. as they enter the 2026 season? It is because the Pittsburgh Steelers chose not to add or delete any players from their inside linebacker depth chart.

However, under the new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, both Queen and Wilson have been actively working on improving their skills within a different structure and playing style. While uncertainties about their performance in the 2026 season still exist, Ryan Clark is confident that Patrick Graham and Mike McCarthy will identify and address any shortcomings.