Pittsburgh Steelers second-year wide receiver George Pickens caused quite a stir Friday afternoon and Saturday morning with some of his posts on social media coming out of the Steelers’ 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football.
Pickens, who had just two catches for -1 yards in the four-point win, was rather upset on the sideline during the game and had some tough body language to watch at times. Then, on Friday, Pickens deleted all of his Instagram posts and changed his profile picture to one non-Steelers related while sharing a post to his story, writing “free me” after the quiet showing — his second straight since the return of standout wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
That certainly raised eyebrows on Friday night, and then Saturday morning Pickens tried to walk things back, posting another story to his IG stating that his posts Friday were not football related and that everyone reading into his posts “need urgentcare.”
“Assumptions lol over a picture. that has nun to do with fb,” Pickens said with laughing emojis in his IG story Saturday morning. “yall need urgentcare lol.”
Of course, it’s easy to say now that those posts had nothing to do with football, but chances are, they did. Pickens was upset Thursday night. He had just three catches in the last two games, a stretch that the Steelers are 1-1 in.
Those antics caught the attention of former Steelers’ all-time great wide receiver and current XFL San Antonio Brahmas head coach Hines Ward. In a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports, Ward had some pointed advice for the Steelers’ young wide receiver, whether he wants to hear it or not.
“George, he’s just young,” Ward said during a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports. “Extremely talented. Wants the ball. It’s not a bad thing. I love receivers who want to impact the game, but also, you have to keep everything in perspective and understand that it’s not about you. There’s a lot that goes on in the passing game. You may be wide open, but protection breaks down and the quarterback has to scramble and you never got that opportunity because of that.
“Sometimes, don’t can’t get all caught up in drinking the Kool-Aid and thinking that it’s all about you, because football is a total team aspect. One person can’t win the Super Bowl by themselves. It takes a collective group of guys to come together, to be unselfish.”
Being a selfless team player, doing whatever it took to win regardless of his role or his overall production was Ward’s calling card in a terrific career that has him on the fringe of a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In Pittsburgh, that hard-working, selfless attitude went a long way, and continues to go a long way today. Ward remains beloved, and it’s because he sacrificed a bunch to do whatever it took to win.
Pickens is an uber-talented receiver, arguably the best on the Steelers. He’s a physical freak with elite-level traits, and when he was in the No. 1 role with Johnson on Injured Reserve, Pickens thrived, putting up monster numbers. But with Johnson back, Pickens’ role has changed. It’s led to some limited production, though quarterback Kenny Pickett was quick to point out Thursday night after the win over the Titans that everything Pickens does on a snap-to-snap basis helps the Steelers win because of the attention he draws.
“I don’t have a problem with that [wanting the ball]” Ward added regarding Pickens to CBS Sports. “But when you start posting tweets and giving media an opportunity to bring it up … that can be a distraction to most teams, especially Pittsburgh being so young. You just have to be mindful, be careful because you can’t make it all about George Pickens. You’ve got to make it about the Pittsburgh Steelers and the reason why we have six Lombardi trophies in that building.
“It wasn’t just about one player, I can guarantee you that.”
Pickens is struggling to grasp that. It seems like he believes that the only way he’s helping the Steelers win is by putting up numbers. In recent weeks Pickett has had a hard time hitting him, giving him accurate looks, missing him on a wide-open crossing route Thursday night that should have been a big gain, and then targeting him only a few times in the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars before leaving with an injury.
Of course, this discussion might not be happening regarding Pickens if he gets his second foot down on a potential touchdown against the Titans Thursday night on a play that he typically makes in his sleep.
Pickens is a great blocker, does all the little things asked of him throughout games and seems beloved in the locker room and among the fanbase, but the antics Thursday night throughout the game on the sideline and then the social media activity is quite concerning.The Steelers are 5-3, and he’s had a big part in that. Sometimes, plays are there, sometimes they aren’t.
That’s life in the NFL. Winning is all that matters. Pickens would be wise to figure that out, and quickly, taking Ward’s advice.
