The Pittsburgh Steelers gave Russell Wilson his first start of the season in Week 7 against the New York Jets, and he formed an immediate connection with WR George Pickens, who had five receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 37-15 win. Wilson praised Pickens’ talent Friday during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.
“First of all, this guy is an absolute rock star. He’s a superstar on the field, all the things he can do. He’s just got such amazing talent,” Wilson said.
Pickens has dealt with questions about his maturity and effort level, particularly after the Steelers’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5 where he was out-snapped by Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson and only caught three passes for 26 yards on seven targets. Wilson said that over the past few weeks, Pickens’ growth and maturity have been “remarkable” to see, and said he’s been working extra with Pickens.
“God’s given you amazing talent. Use it all,” Wilson said of his message to the third-year man. “And also too, understanding that you’re not focused on anything outside, just be focused on the moment. I’ve really been harping on George and hard on him and he handles it well. He handles it all well. It’s, ‘Hey we gotta get extra work, man. We gotta get extra work before practice and after practice. We gotta spend time on it. We gotta watch this film. We gotta talk about it. We gotta have conversations.’ And he’s been unbelievable about that. The past couple weeks [have] been remarkable just watching his maturity, his growth, his mentality.”
Wilson’s been the consummate professional since arriving in Pittsburgh, and his leadership is something that’s really stood out. He’s always been an ultra-positive teammate, but behind closed doors, he isn’t afraid to get on guys to help them unlock their potential. That seems to be the case with Pickens, whom he knows has immense talent and wants to see him harness it to become the receiver the Steelers need him to be.
Reminding him to stay present and only focus on the moment and ignore the outside noise is good leadership, and for Pickens, it should mean something coming from someone like Wilson, who’s won a Super Bowl. Pickens has said he’s unselfish and only cares about winning, and Wilson knows what it takes to win in the league. Having that background makes his voice a little more powerful in Pittsburgh’s locker room, and it’s something that should and seemingly has influenced Pickens to focus only on what matters and doing what it takes to help his team win.
It’s also always a good thing to build chemistry with who you expect your top receiver to be, so it’s nice to hear that Wilson has been making sure Pickens does a lot of extra work with him. Not only does it build their chemistry on the field, but it helps build their relationship off the field, which also can help Wilson get through to Pickens.
It would be a really positive development for the Steelers if the connection that Wilson and Pickens showed against the Jets carries over to the rest of the season. The work that Wilson has been putting in with Pickens as a player and a person behind the scenes should help allow that to happen.
