Through his first two seasons with the Steelers, George Pickens has proven that he’s got about as much potential as any receiver. Not everyone can make the contested sideline toe-tap catches that Pickens routinely makes. The quarterback play and offensive system haven’t exactly supported Pickens so far either, with him playing with three different quarterbacks last year. Despite all of the Steelers’ offensive struggles recently, Pickens has been a bright spot, and he seems to believe he has more left to show, too. However, one major insider has heard some things that seem to indicate Pickens has issues outside of football that could hold him back.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is about as well-known as any NFL insider, breaking news all the time. Recently, on the Fantasy Points Podcast, Schefter discussed Pickens’ abilities as a receiver and why he might be a little more down on him than others.
“There are not many receivers that are any more talented than George Pickens. Guy is a total freak. I remember somebody telling me at one point, ‘Yeah, he’s as good a receiver as there is in the league if you just get him to the stadium on time.’ And that’s George Pickens. That kind of guy always makes me a little queasy.”
Our guy @AdamSchefter is FADING George Pickens in #FantasyFootball this year! 🚨
Adam joined @Fantasy_Guru and @DrakeFantasy to discuss the #Steelers situation and much, much more! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hSyKw5mDrW
— Fantasy Points (@FantasyPts) May 21, 2024
Schefter doesn’t come out and say it, but what he’s alluding to here is that Pickens has issues off the field, whether that’s with maturity, responsibility, or something else entirely. So far in his NFL career, there haven’t been any off-field stories about Pickens being a problem, aside from him being frustrated that he isn’t getting the ball enough. Which is coded into the DNA of nearly every receiver. Pickens has proven that he can make big time plays when given the chance, and that kind of ability can win games sometimes.
Pickens also isn’t the first receiver to get upset that he isn’t getting targeted enough, with players like Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. having far worse outbursts over the matter. These are talented players who know they can help win football games if their quarterback or offense allows them to. If Schefter says that Pickens has issues that don’t have anything to do with what happens on the field, then those problems haven’t ballooned enough to hit the public yet.
Mike Tomlin has managed some pretty unique personalities in his coaching career, so if Pickens does have some kind of issue, then he’s the perfect man for the job. Tomlin got far more mileage out of Brown’s career than anyone else, so he should be just fine with Pickens. If it does become too big of a problem, then the team has shown they aren’t afraid to move on from a player who doesn’t want to be there.
For now, this isn’t a real issue. Pickens is at OTAs and working to build chemistry with the new quarterbacks on the roster. If everything goes to plan this season, then Pickens should have his best year yet, which should also help the team have a good year. Pickens looks to be the next in a long line of great Steelers receivers, so hopefully he can have a long and fruitful career in Pittsburgh.
