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Wide receiver George Pickens of the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t necessarily say anything wrong while speaking to reporters for the first time since his eventful Week 5 performance. But Pickens may not have had the right tone and could have been a little more thorough with his responses.
At least that was the general consensus from Steelers media and fans reacting to Pickens’ session with the media on October 10.
Most notably, when asked if he was being used effectively in the Pittsburgh offense, Pickens simply answered, “Yeah.”
That answer wasn’t very popular on X.
“He’s kind of a petulant idiot,” tweeted one fan. “Certainly not the attitude of a champion. No accountability for anything.
“I think I’m done with him. Next?”
“Vibe of a kid that’s been scolded and being a good boy now,” another tweeted.
One fan tweeted a GIF of the famous Super Bowl media session with former running back Marshawn Lynch, writing that Pickens “is a fifteen-year-old.”
Pickens was at the center of media attention on October 10 for a lot of different reasons stemming from the Week 5 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys — none of them good.
Early in the game, Pickens caused a stir on social media with a message written on his eye black that said, “Open [expletive] always.” At the end of the game, the Steelers receiver tackled Cowboys defensive back Jourdan Lewis by the face mask.
Then after the contest, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin answered questions about why Pickens didn’t play as many snaps as he usually does. He lined up for 34 offensive snaps versus the Cowboys. In the first four weeks, Pickens averaged 51.75 offensive snaps per game.
In the days since the game, Pickens’ effort on routes where he didn’t receive the ball have come into question.
October 10 was the first time the receiver spoke with the media since the Cowboys game. He declined interview requests after the game.
George Pickens Puts Earning More Snaps on Steelers OC
The question about whether the Steelers were using him effectively in their offense was a trap, but it was fair to ask Pickens how he was going to earn more playing time after effectively being benched in Week 5.
Pickens, though, said he didn’t see it as his responsibility to earn more playing time.
“Nah, it’s not on me,” Pickens told the media, via 93.7 The Fan. “It’s all up to Art [Smith].”
Interestingly, Smith told the media on October 10 that he “didn’t sense any frustration” from Pickens over his lack of playing time during the game. But of course, it’s become a significant story line for the team this week.
Pickens Causes Eye Black Controversy
The 23-year-old also answered questions about his eye black on October 10. Pickens didn’t see the message on his face as a big deal.
“It’s just eye black,” he said, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
It is a big deal, though, according to the NFL rulebook. The league’s uniform policy prohibits players from delivering personal messages. He could receive a $11,255 fine.
Pickens said he was unaware of that rule even when a reporter recalled the occasion when Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward received a fine for an eye-black message for his father in 2015.
But Pickens didn’t seem too interested in that because it happened before he was drafted.
“Yeah, when I wasn’t in the league. So, nah,” Pickens said to a question of whether he knew of Heyward’s fine.
As if that wasn’t enough, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo reported on October 9 that Pickens has shown up late “for work on multiple occasions this season.”
Perhaps that explains why Pickens didn’t play as many snaps as usual in Week 5. But whatever the reason, the Steelers need their top receiver on the field and producing at a high level.
Pickens had a season-low 26 receiving yards versus the Cowboys.
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