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The Pittsburgh Steelers had a difficult time moving the ball effectively in their Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. While some fans blame Justin Fields for the poor offensive showing, calling for Russell Wilson to take over at quarterback, there’s another concerning development at play. The Steelers have cut George Pickens reps. The team’s top target participated in a career-worse 34 of 54 snaps.
While head coach Mike Tomlin insists this is simply a case of sacrificing reps for increased productivity, the explanation doesn’t quite ring true. Something feels off about the Steelers’ relationship with Pickens.
Despite the rumor mill churning, Wilson has come to his teammate’s defense. “We love the player that he is. We love the competitor that he is and that's the thing that you have to understand. Is George a bad teammate? Absolutely not. Is George a hell of a player? Absolutely. Is he a great competitor? Absolutely. Is he a guy that wants the ball? Absolutely. Is he a guy that can do anything on the field that most people can't? Absolutely,” the Pro Bowl signal caller said of Pickens via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on X.
“So I think the best thing that we can focus on is find different ways to get up in the ball, obviously also to him staying composed, that matters – but also understanding that it's all team effort,” Wilson added.
Do the Steelers have a George Pickens problem?
You would expect a veteran quarterback like Wilson to have his wideout’s back when speaking to the press. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something seriously wrong with the Steelers/Pickens marriage. The third-year receiver was seen operating at less than max effort on some of his 34 snaps. Pickens also lost his composure with a Cowboys defender in the Week 5 loss.
Still, when asked again if anything was going on with Pickens, Tomlin doubled down on the load management for increased production explanation. The Steelers selected the wideout in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Georgia. Last year he caught 63 passes for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns. Five games into his third season, Pickens has 23 receptions for 310 scoreless yards.
The Steelers are facing a big decision at quarterback as Wilson has returned to practice in full. The team tapped Wilson as their starter in the preseason. However, a calf injury has kept him out the first five weeks of the season. While the Steelers don’t seem ready to move on from Fields, the question remains, what will the team do with Wilson? Now we can add, what will they do with Pickens?
The Steelers head to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders in Week 6. After starting 3-0 the team has lost two straight to fall to 3-2 on the year. Pittsburgh is tied for first place in the AFC North.
