Pittsburgh Steelers running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have been available for interviews together as a duo throughout media week ahead of the Super Bowl to promote Bounty. In one of those recent interviews, they were asked about their teammate, WR George Pickens, and his blocking abilities. After a rookie season where he was praised for routinely pancaking defensive backs off the line of scrimmage, he came under fire for opting to not block for Warren near the goal line. That play sparked a week-long media frenzy questioning Pickens as a player and the Steelers organization and leadership as a whole. Harris and Warren were asked if Pickens was unfairly maligned for his blocking.
“Yes,” Warren said in a video posted by USA Today’s For The Win. “I feel like they took it to a point where it didn’t have to. Sometimes I feel like they do too much as the media, but then again isn’t that their job?”
The play in question was down near the goal line and Warren was running Pickens’ way. He opted to not block and likely cost Warren the touchdown, though the Steelers did end up scoring on that drive. Pickens later said he didn’t want to get injured, pointing to Houston Texans’ WR Tank Dell who got injured in a similar fashion.
Warren later made a comment that he would have blocked for Pickens in that same situation. Pickens was public enemy number one during that week and many called for him to be benched to send a message.
After a tumultuous week that saw head coach Mike Tomlin give a rare mid-week press conference, Pickens had one of the best games of his career the following week. He had another opportunity to block for Warren near the goal line in Week 16 against the Seattle Seahawks and ended up making things right. Warren said at the time that Pickens is “not the selfish player that people make him out to be.” The two celebrated together in the end zone following that play.
Tomlin said in his end-of-season press conference that Pickens has matured, but that there is still work to be done as he continues to grow into a professional.
