The concerns surrounding Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens never involve his talent. Everybody acknowledges his natural gifts, even if he still has a lot to learn about his craft. The problem isn’t his potential; it’s his ability to reach it, including his willingness to act professionally.
Teams held these concerns about Pickens coming out of Georgia in 2022, and they still do. That’s why he remained on the board in the middle of the second round. Two years into his career, Mike Florio says others around the league still shake their heads.
“I picked up some stuff on how he’s viewed by high-level executives with other teams, and it’s not good”, he told Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller on 93.7 The Fan. “It’s not good, the returns on George Pickens, at least regarding his reputation among others who scouted him coming out of Georgia and did homework on him then. It’s just not good, and people aren’t surprised that Mike Tomlin’s having challenges keeping him under control”.
I should note that Florio is one of the biggest Pickens fans out there. If he’s reporting this, you can be sure that he’s hearing it from high-level sources. He said that there are two he spoke to who are instantly recognizable to anybody who follows the NFL.
“As soon as his name came up, it was just like, [no]”, he said, indicating they shake their heads. “I think they’re not surprised by what’s happened so far and they don’t think that it’s gonna end well for Pickens in Pittsburgh, or that it’s gonna end well for him anywhere”.
He continued to express his disappointment because he believes in Pickens as a player. He urged that he accepts whatever maturation he needs to make the most of his career. But Steelers fans are increasingly questioning if he reaches his potential before he blows up.
Just last season, he attacked reporters to the point his coaches needed to apologize for him. He deflected any failures in his game, suggesting he has nothing he needs to work on. When he failed to get both feet inbounds for a touchdown, he insisted he couldn’t have done anything differently.
He lacks maturity, which is hardly a revelation for most people his age. He turns 23 years old on Monday. Frankly, teammates and coaches have not spoken about a player as they do about Pickens since Antonio Brown. They all know that he needs to grow up, but they also know the talent he has and the things he can do with a football in his hands.
He caught four passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns one week. In another game earlier in the season, he caught two passes for minus-one yard. He can perform anywhere in between in any given week, and you’re never sure how he behaves on the sideline. In the season finale, he didn’t even get a target, yet he seemed fine.
His biggest advocates believe the key is keeping him happy on the field, and they don’t believe the Steelers can. They don’t have the quarterback play to take advantage of his talents. Maybe he is more content in an offense where he produces more. Or maybe he learns to grow up and makes the most of his circumstances. Otherwise, things very much may not end well in Pittsburgh.
