Broderick Jones, Payton Wilson, Keeanu Benton absorb criticism from ex-Steelers

Some ex-Steelers are unhappy with what they are seeing from a trio of current players in black and gold.

Retired Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex has gotten into the media game. He hosts the “Snap Count Show” with former teammate Charlie Batch on the Big Play Sports Network.

The two-time Super Bowl champion had a harsh critique of struggling Steelers tackle Broderick Jones.

Hands & Punch. They are non existent. Grabbing and absorbing everything. pic.twitter.com/rLLwKUhIPP

— Trai Essex (@TraiDay79) September 8, 2025

It’s his first start at LT. You want to give the kid some grace. And I will. But there are some SERIOUS issues with 77's technique and general football smarts that should not be madeat this point in his career. I am concerned. Hopefully time and reps will improve these…

— Trai Essex (@TraiDay79) September 7, 2025

Jones allowed three sacks and a few more pressures during the Steelers’ 34-32 win over the Jets on Sunday.

Meanwhile, retired Steelers nose tackle Chris Hoke wasn’t very impressed with the performance of second-year linebacker Payton Wilson.

“No-show by Payton Wilson in the tackles. You’re an inside linebacker, you’ve got to be one of the top two or three guys in tackles in the game,” Hoke said on the “Steelers Extra Point” postgame show. “Didn’t see a lot of him. I think that’s what he meant at halftime when Coach Tomlin was talking about guys getting on, getting off blocks, shedding blocks, making plays. He’s one of those guys. He’s got to look at the film and improve. I believe that he did not get off blocks enough and needs to make more plays for this Steelers defense.”

Wilson actually ended up with five tackles on the day, one for a loss. But, to Hoke’s point, just one stop resulting in a negative play for the Jets offense wasn’t much over his 56 defensive snaps.

Wilson admitted to some individual and collective shortcomings on defense.

“There’s obviously a lot of things to correct,” Wilson said Monday. “It’s better to be correcting them at 1-0 than 0-1. But we definitely have a lot of things to clean up on the defensive side of the ball.”

Wilson added that those challenges have as much to do with pre-snap and neck-up issues as they do with the physical problems Hoke pointed out.

“Continuing to know your assignment, know your gaps,” Wilson said. “Offenses try to do a lot of things to manipulate your eyes. Staying on your assignment, not trying to make every single play. Understanding that there are plays to be made by other people. You can’t make every single one. So sometimes you’ve just got to stay in your gap.”

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Hoke also seemed to notice those faults in third-year defensive lineman Keeanu Benton.

“He’s got to be a little bit better. He was short on some of his gaps. He tries to make plays, and he’s got to play with technique,” Hoke said. “Get in your gap. Don’t come off to try and make plays. You get yourself out of position, and that opens up a gap in the middle of the defense.”

For their sake, hopefully the Steelers have better luck against the Seahawks’ offense this week than they did against the New York Jets in Week 1.

Seattle only rushed for 84 yards in its first game against San Francisco and totaled only 230 yards. The Seahawks lost 17-13.

New York posted 394 total offensive yards, 182 of which were on the ground.