In Russell Wilson’s preseason debut last week against the Buffalo Bills, we nearly got to see his connection with George Pickens, but the latter’s toe was ever-so-slightly out of bounds. They made up for it in the preseason finale with an explosive play on the first 3rd-down opportunity of the game.
Below is a clip of the 32-yard completion posted by NFL on X to extend what went on to be the first touchdown drive for Wilson in Black and Gold.
After the Steelers’ 24-17 loss to the Detroit Lions, Wilson was asked about Pickens and their growing connection. The veteran quarterback showered the young receiver with praise.
“This guy has such a great feel for the game. Obviously his hands and his catch radius [are] tremendous, but I think the best thing that he does is his work ethic,” Wilson said in a video posted on the Steelers’ YouTube page. “At practice, when he steps in between the white lines, this guy becomes a monster at practice, man. It’s cool to watch. He’s got a great feel for the game, like I said.
“And he’s hard to cover. There’s not many guys that can cover him, really, to be honest with you anybody. And so I think that he just does a great job of that.”
Wilson has worked with many high-level receivers over his career. Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Jerry Jeudy, and Courtland Sutton to name a few. That type of praise coming from a quarterback entering his 13th NFL season is definitely notable.
It is also counter to what a lot of people have said about Pickens. I don’t know that anyone has specifically ragged on his work ethic in practice, but his lack of effort on a block near the goal line last year raised some questions. Wilson is definitively saying that is not an issue.
Pickens had his first season over 1,000 yards last year and did so with one of the most inept offenses in the NFL. Blame Matt Canada or Kenny Pickett, it was tough sledding for everybody on the Steelers’ offense to accumulate gaudy stats over the course of the season. Now he gets to work with a potential Hall-of-Fame quarterback and a much better offensive coordinator. As long as the offensive line doesn’t derail the offense, Pickens is in line for a career season and a much-anticipated Pro Bowl selection.
With George Pickens being the most talented receiver on the roster by a long shot, the Wilson-Pickens connection is going to need to be strong this season. It seems like it has a good chance of being just that.
