In three games with Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens is on pace for a 79-reception, 1,564-yard, 11-touchdown season. The only problem is he already played six out of 17 games with Justin Fields. In those six games, his pace looked more like 74 for 1,028 and 0. Taken altogether, his projection shakes out to 76-1,207-4.
But Pickens should be on a progressive trajectory because of Russell Wilson, so we can’t go by those numbers. The Steelers have eight more games left, so a better projection would take that sample and use the last three games. If he continues his pace with Wilson, he’ll add 37 more catches for 736 yards and 5-6 touchdowns.
That works out, added to what he already has, to a season of 77 receptions for 1,375 yards and 7-8 touchdowns. And you know what those are? The Pro Bowl numbers George Pickens seems to think he had been putting up all along. He has Russell Wilson to thank for that. Or perhaps more accurately, the Steelers for finally giving him a quarterback that allows him to thrive.
A second-round pick out of Georgia in 2022, George Pickens came into the league as one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL. He had plenty of things to work on, however, and the Steelers had subpar quarterback play. Bringing in Russell Wilson and OC Arthur Smith has transformed his game for the better, and perhaps his mental clarity as well—for the most part.
As a rookie, playing mostly with Kenny Pickett, Pickens caught 52 passes for 801 yards and four touchdowns. The following season, which ended with Mason Rudolph, he caught 63 for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns. Through six games with Justin Fields and three with Russell Wilson, he has 40 for 639 and two touchdowns.
Over the last three games since Wilson took over, Pickens has 14 catches for 276 yards and two touchdowns. And that’s not including the two near-touchdowns he had in the one game in which he didn’t officially score. The Steelers had one touchdown negated by penalty. On the other, he improbably failed to get his second foot down.
During a three-game stretch at the end of last season with Mason Rudolph, George Pickens caught 11 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns. That included a season finale in which he didn’t even see a single target. He had five 100-yard games last season with questionable quarterback play. He already has one with Russell Wilson, his second on the year.
With eight games left to play, what more can Pickens and Wilson unlock together in the Steelers’ passing game? They are connecting down the field, Pickens putting up over 18 yards per catch in their three games together. If they continue finding success vertically, Pickens should have little trouble finding himself in the Pro Bowl for the first time.
