Football is back for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they hit the practice field for the first day of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and unfortunately with that first day back there is already some drama.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, WR George Pickens and new wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni had a bit of a heated verbal dust-up Thursday in Latrobe after Azzanni got on Pickens following a rep, leading to Pickens coming back at Azzanni and eventually needing to be calmed down by fellow receivers.
It comes as no surprise that Azzanni, a hard-nosed, demanding coach with plenty of experience in the NFL as a receivers coach, would be exactly who he has been throughout his career: demanding, not putting up with any crap and holding receivers to a standard, regardless of individual accolades, salary, reputation, etc.
Pickens, unfortunately, found that out the hard way on Thursday.
Appearing on the 93.7 The Fan PM Show with hosts Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller, Fittipaldo stated that Pickens has got to see the writing on the wall right now that if he doesn’t act in a more appropriate manner on and off the field, that he won’t be getting a second contract from the Steelers, and that he won’t be coddled in Pittsburgh any longer.
“Listen, George is a pretty sharp guy. He’s gotta see the writing on the wall, right? I mean, they got rid of Diontae Johnson because he was a problem. And George Pickens has to know that if he doesn’t turn around his act and act in a more appropriate manner on and off the field this season, that he might be the next guy out the door,” Fittipaldo said, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan on YouTube. “Or, at the very least, he’s not gonna get a second contract with the Steelers. So, I think George is smart. I think, after today, he probably realizes if he didn’t already know it, he is gonna be coached hard.
“This is a new offensive staff, it’s not gonna be the same. And we’ll see how this goes, but I thought that was a pretty interesting development that it happened today late in practice.”
It certainly was an interesting development, and it definitely isn’t comforting knowing on Day 1 of training camp that Pickens and Azzanni are already clashing, simply because Azzanni is coaching him hard.
We don’t know what exactly led to it, what was said, or what rep it was on, but we know — based on previous coaching stops and interviews with the media — the style that Azzanni brings to the table. After dealing with some effort issues on the field from both Diontae Johnson and Pickens last season, and some flareups on the sidelines and in the locker room, the Steelers course corrected this offseason at the position from a coaching standpoint, moving on from Frisman Jackson and bringing in Azzanni.
He has a great track record, and while he’s had some verbal spats with receivers, he’s always had their respect. That includes former Steelers and Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who once credited Azzanni for getting more out of his career.
The problem is, Pickens is in that early stage of the relationship with Azzanni and has to adjust to his coaching style. Azzanni isn’t going to adjust who and how he is because he’s been there, done that. Pickens needs to be held accountable and coached hard, period.
Thursday’s spat might not be the last in training camp, or even this season. It’s certainly going to be something to monitor, especially after reports surfaced that the Steelers got rid of Johnson via trade because they were tired of dealing with the headaches and didn’t want him influencing Pickens.
The Steelers already showed the willingness to move on from a standout receiver due to attitude issues, and if Pickens doesn’t adjust, he might be the next one out the door.
“It’s definitely something to watch here as training camp goes on. Like I said, this is a guy who was coddled in college,” Fittipaldo added regarding Pickens. “You can make a pretty good argument that he was coddled his first two years by Mike Tomlin and Frisman Jackson.
“And if his first practice today was any indication, he’s not gonna be coddled by Zach Azzanni and Arthur Smith.”
Hopefully Pickens got the message on Day 1 of training camp and makes the adjustments. The talent is immense, but he needs to put in the work, hold himself accountable and realize that Azzanni is only trying to get the best out of him.
