A little over a week after he made some interesting comments about the Cleveland Browns being a bad football team following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 24-19 loss and being called a “fake tough guy” by a pair of Cleveland defenders, Steelers wide receiver George Pickens declined to engage further with the media Friday afternoon.
Pickens channeled his inner Marshawn Lynch and wouldn’t talk about his comments after the Browns game, or about anything that went on in the Steelers’ loss last Thursday night.
“I’m just here so I won’t get fined,” Pickens told reporters in regard to multiple questions centering on the Browns, the post-Hail Mary scuffle, and his comments, according to video via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on Twitter.
The entire interview lasted all of one minute, seven seconds before Pickens was done talking, fulfilling his media obligation.
Pickens has had a difficult relationship with the media since entering the league as a second-round pick out of Georgia in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s been a player who has made some jaw-dropping plays and has rounded into form as an explosive No. 1 target for the Steelers over the last three years.
There have been plenty of issues on the sideline, post-snap and even on social media during his tenure, too, leading to the media coming down pretty hard on Pickens. He hears all the noise and all the criticism. He hasn’t directly said it has affected him, but his session with the media Friday, which is the first time he’s spoken since postgame last Thursday, was very short, standoffish, and difficult to listen to.
Pickens wants no part of speaking with the media, especially when things are tough. That’s perfectly fine. He did what is required of himself on Friday, making himself available for questions. Media guidelines don’t state he needs to provide useable answers.
He borrowed from the school of Marshawn Lynch to fulfill his obligation. Remember, Lynch did the “here so I don’t get fined” angle at Super Bowl XLIX Media Day in 2015.
It’s not the best look for Pickens, who continues to draw some negative attention away from the game of football itself for the way he handles media sessions, answers he provides that start up additional news cycles, and even some attitude and effort issues on the field.
Friday was no different, though it’s understandable why Pickens just wants no part of speaking to the media at this point. This will undoubtedly generate another few days of sports talk, though, which is unfortunate.
