First-year Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni is not afraid to push his receivers. One exchange between Azzanni and wide receiver George Pickens made headlines early in training camp after Pickens appeared visibly frustrated following criticism from Azzanni on a certain assignment. A few days later, Pickens was asked about Azzanni, and he said that his coaching style was “not a huge change” for him, comparing Azzanni’s energy and temperament to his head coach at Georgia, Kirby Smart.
The situation seems to be nothing more than a hard-nosed coach trying to shape up a young, talented receiver. Azzanni dispelled any rumors regarding any ongoing conflict between him and Pickens when he spoke to 93.7 the Fan after practice on Tuesday regarding his relationship with wide receiver George Pickens.
“Everyone wants to make this ginormous thing of George,” Azzanni said. “Me and George are great. Listen, it’s football, it’s hard. My job as a coach is to coach, critique, and correct, and sometimes as players, that’s not always fun thing, you know? And my job is also to push these guys to a place where maybe they don’t think they can go. And sometimes that’s uncomfortable. George knows that, I know that, the players know it, and we’re all going to hold each other to a standard and we’re not going to fall below that standard. And that’s why George has been getting better. Me and him are great. I love how everyone throws a big deal about it. George is awesome. He’s been awesome. He continues to get better, and I’m pleased with where he’s going.”
The Steelers have struggled with wide receivers causing issues with lack of effort and overinflated egos in recent years, a major reason why Diontae Johnson was traded this offseason. George Pickens is certainly more than confident in his abilities as an up-and-coming star wideout, though he received some similar criticism late last season for his lack of effort on what could have been a touchdown-leading block for Jaylen Warren. Mike Tomlin brought in Azzanni to rejuvenate a wide-receiver room that’s been up and down the last few years. Azzanni knows that he needs to push Pickens, at times harder than Pickens wants to be pushed if he’s going to develop into a top-notch route-runner and separator to complement his exceptional hands.
Arthur Smith is a tough coach who pushes his players extremely hard. Azzanni is the same way. Mike Tomlin brought these guys in to reinstate “the standard,” a standard that had eroded a bit the past few seasons. The Steelers want to obliterate opposing defenses with physicality, and that involves 110% effort on every play from all 11 players on offense. Pickens won’t have the luxury of taking reps off because he’ll get an earful from Azzanni and Smith if he does.
Pickens will be the focal point of the Steelers’ passing attack, and with that, he’ll take on a new leadership role in his young career. Rookie Roman Wilson and others have praised his leadership this offseason, but things could change quickly if Pickens feels he isn’t getting enough targets during the season, or if the quarterback play isn’t up to par. Azzanni is doing his best to ensure that Pickens is prepared as a player and leader when times get tough, and it will take some reprimanding as Pickens continues to mature as a player and person. We’ll see if Pickens can reach his full potential and blossom into a superstar under Azzanni’s tutelage this season.
I think we can all agree with Azzanni on one thing: “George is awesome.”
