Steelers’ George Pickens Rips His Latest WR Ranking: ‘The League Is Playing With Me’

Getty Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens expressed that he was not pleased with his latest Madden video game rating.

NFL players voicing their displeasure with their Madden video game ratings has become an annual event in the league. Count Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens among the players who consider themselves not properly rated in the latest version of the video game.

In Madden 25, Pickens possesses an 83 overall rating, which is tied for 33rd among all wide receivers in the video game. The other three wideouts with an 83 overall rating are Diontae Johnson, Nico Collins and Calvin Ridley.

Pickens shared his immediate reaction to his Madden rating with Prospect Media on August 2.

“When I see that, I was like, ‘Oh my God. The league is playing with me.’ They are really playing with me,” said Pickens.

A couple years ago, Madden introduced unlockable bonuses such as “abilities,” “x-factor” and “superstar.” But the video game did not reward Pickens with any of those bonus attributes.

Pickens also received a rating of 96 in jump, 91 in speed, and 91 in spectacular jump. All ratings were out of 99.

“I’ve got no abilities,” Pickens continued. “X-factor, that comes with 90 overall type. But no abilities? No superstar? 91 speed, you know, I’m really like 94 speed.”

Steelers’ George Pickens Identifies What His Madden Rating Will Be at End of 2024

Given Pickens’ public personality, it’s not surprising that he took issue with his 83 Madden rating. And on some level, it’s hard not to agree that he’s underrated with his rating.

Pickens led the NFL with 18.1 yards per catch last season. He also had 63 catches for 1,140 receiving yards. While Pickens was 36th in receptions, he finished ranked 16th in yards among all wideouts.

There are a lot of great receivers in the NFL. But it’s hard to believe there are 32 wideouts better than Pickens.

The key to his rise in Madden ratings could be consistency. While Pickens is spectacular at making highlight-reel catches, he posted under 50 receiving yards in nine games last season.

Elite NFL receivers produce on a weekly basis.

Pickens, though, predicted he will be more elite by the end of the season. He told Prospect Media that he will earn a 91 Madden rating by the end of the 2024 campaign.

Steelers WR Depth Behind Pickens

While consistency is key for Pickens, the Steelers creating favorable matchups for Pickens is another factor in whether he will earn a higher Madden rating by the end of 2024. To put Pickens in a position to succeed, the Steelers need one of their other receivers to emerge opposite the 23-year-old. Otherwise, the opposition can just double-cover Pickens on every play.

One of the biggest questions at Steelers training camp is whether the team has that receiver already on their roster. Pittsburgh drafted Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft, but he suffered an ankle injury on July 30.

Wilson should be ready to start the regular season, but he is considered week-to-week and will miss valuable summer practice time.

The other wide receivers the Steelers added this offseason were veterans Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Scott Miller. None of those three wideouts had more than 209 receiving yards last season.

The Steelers also return third-year wide receiver Calvin Austin. He had 17 catches for 180 yards and 1 touchdown in 17 games during 2023.

That collection of receivers becoming reliable contributors will likely have a significant impact on Pickens’ production and thus his next Madden rating.