The wide receiver position has been talked to death for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. As the offense has stumbled, a lot of that has come from the lack of production at the position. Pittsburgh has their star receiver in George Pickens, but aside from him, there isn’t really another playmaker on the offense. Even Pickens has had his own issues throughout the season.
Some of those problems reared their ugly head during the Steelers loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas day. Pickens had one big reception down the sideline early in the game but that aside, his day was fairly quiet.
Pickens had one ugly moment in which he appeared to stop his route mid-play, which ended up influencing an interception thrown by Russell Wilson in the end zone. Pickens was also visibly frustrated, as the offense struggled throughout the game.
Legendary former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe spoke about Pickens on ‘Nightcap’ which aired on Friday.
“Pickens is gonna stop having to be so emotional on every play,” Sharpe said. “Every play he doesn’t get the ball, he’s like ‘oh my goodness, oh Lord have mercy.’ I know he’s a phenomenal talent, the catches, and the difficulty of the catches he makes on a consistent basis.
“But if he could channel a lot of that energy, I don’t think he realizes just how good he can be.”
Sharpe’s comments are in-line with how many pundits discuss Pickens. Big talent, big headache. Pickens has found his name in the headlines several times this year, for the wrong reasons. Yet, he is so talented and influential to the Steelers offense, it’s something that gets looked past.
What lies ahead in the marriage between the Steelers and Pickens is anyone’s guess. He’ll eventually demand a large contract, and whether the Steelers are willing to look past some of those aforementioned topics remains up in the air. Some are even looking at his postgame actions on Wednesday as a cause for concern. For now, the Steelers need Pickens, and the rest of the offense to focus more as the playoffs inch closer.
