While a lot of the focus around the Steelers offense has been its failures, specifically the play calling of offensive coordinator Matt Canada, there have been some bright spots as well. And perhaps the brightest of them all has been the play of second-year wideout George Pickens.
Pickens had a lot of pressure and expectations on him even before the season started, and it was only magnified when Steelers’ other wide receiver, Diontae Johnson, got injured in Week One. Johnson hasn’t played since but should return in Week Seven, after the Steelers’ Week Six bye.
While this injury seemed like it had the potential to derail Pickens’ season, he took it in stride. Wide receiver coach Frisman Jackson had this to say regarding Pickens playing without Johnson, in audio provided by the Steelers.
“I think it’s helped him,” Jackson admitted. “In a sense, he understands that teams know he’s the main target, and that he’s gonna get the ball. He’s had to fight through and see coverages and understand how teams are gonna play him and still have to go out there and make the play. The great receivers in this league, everybody in the building knows that person is gonna get the ball. Can you still go make the play? He’s been tested with that, he’s made some plays, and obviously having [Johnson] back will help him and us out tremendously.”
Pickens has answered the bell in every sense of the phrase since Johnson has been out. He ranks 12th in the league with 393 receiving yards and ranks in the top 10 with eight catches of 20 or more yards. What is perhaps even more encouraging is that everything Pickens was harping on in the offseason regarding increasing his yards after the catch has been coming true. He’s already eclipsed his total from last year, and only 12 wide receivers have more YAC than the Georgia product in 2023.
Everyone knows how much the Steelers are relying on Pickens right now just from watching the games, but some stats can put it into perspective. Pickens has accounted for a whopping 42% of the Steelers’ receiving yards this season, which is just an insane number. For comparison, the Miami Dolphins Tyreek Hill leads the league in receiving yards by a wide margin (79) and has outgained Pickens 651 to 393. However, because the Dolphins have thrown for so many more yards than the Steelers, Hill only accounts for 40% of the team’s total passing yards. The fact that defenses know Pickens is the main and sometimes only guy and he’s still performing like this is a great sign.
Johnson coming back will certainly be a boost for this offense. But it’s not the worst thing that Pickens has a taste of what it’s like to be treated as a superstar receiver in the NFL. And now we know for sure that he’s up to the challenge.
