Getty Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens made a big prediction for his connection with quarterback Kenny Pickett.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may possess a defensive reputation as a franchise, but the organization has also had its fair share of elite quarterback-wide receiver connections. Most recently, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown combined to be one of the best offensive duos in the NFL.
While appearing on Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show, Baumann mentioned the Roethlisberger-Brown connection to Steelers current wide receiver George Pickens. Baumann asked Pickens if he and quarterback Kenny Pickett could one day have chemistry equal to what Roethlisberger and Brown possessed.
Pickens didn’t shy away from the question, claiming that Pittsburgh’s latest duo is on its way.
“I feel like we’re getting to that point. It’s only been like two years, but I totally know what you’re talking about with Ben and AB,” Pickens said during his August 9 radio appearance. “Where it got to a point to where it was just second nature, or sometimes he’d be scrambling out and there’s three guys on him, he still just throws it.
“I feel like that’s gonna happen with me, and Kenny in probably like Year Five, Year Six, where it’s just automatic.”
Pickens continued, calling this season the “drive up phase.” He referred to last year, which was the first NFL season for both him and Pickett, as the “get better phase.”
George Pickens Places High Expectations on Himself, Kenny Pickett
To Pickens’ credit, he didn’t say Pickett and himself would reach the level of the Roethlisberger-Brown connection this season. Instead, he actually preached a little patience. The fifth season for both players won’t occur until 2027.
But anyone comparing their own quarterback-receiver connection to the one between Roethlisberger and Brown has set the bar high.
In nine seasons with the Steelers, Brown posted 837 catches, 11,207 receiving yards and 74 touchdowns. He is second in franchise history in all three categories.
While in Pittsburgh, Brown led the NFL in receiving twice, receptions twice and receiving touchdowns once. Brown was tremendously talented, but a lot of that success was from the chemistry he developed with Roethlisberger, who played in 120 of Brown’s 130 games in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers would be very fortunate if the Pickett-Pickens connection comes close to replicating what Roethlisberger and Brown did together on the field.
Pickett-Pickens Connection Emerged at End of 2022
There’s a lot of work still remaining for Pickett and Pickens to reach elite status. But the two connected for some big plays as rookies.
Pickett found Pickens for a 14-yard touchdown with 46 seconds remaining in the Christmas Eve matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. The score gave the Steelers a 13-10 victory.
Two weeks later, the Pickett-Pickens duo struck again for a 31-yard touchdown against the Cleveland Browns.
As a rookie, Pickett had 16 completions of 25 yards or longer. Half of them went to Pickens.
Brown averaged 13.4 yards per catch in nine seasons with the Steelers. That’s significantly less than Pickens’ 15.4 yards per reception average in his first NFL season.
But Brown was known for making big plays, and yet he still hauled in 65.6% of his targets. Pickens caught 61.9% of his targets during 2022.
Pickett-to-Pickens has a long way to go to be remembered as one of the best passing duos in Steelers history. But Pittsburgh fans should love the high expectations Pickens has set out for himself and his quarterback.