Not only is George Pickens’ hamstring injury a “bit more significant” than the Pittsburgh Steelers anticipated, it could keep him out of the lineup for multiple games moving forward.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated Tuesday that Pickens was doubtful to play Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, and on Wednesday in his weekly chat with readers, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac stated that Pickens is “very iffy” to play against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16 on Saturday, Dec. 21 in Baltimore.
“He is not playing this week and it’s very iffy for Baltimore, too. Especially with one less day,” Dulac wrote of Pickens, according to the post-gazette.com.
It’s a big blow that Pickens, the Steelers’ No. 1 receiver who has been a downfield producer all season, is unlikely to play in Week 15 against the Eagles, especially with the talented secondary Philadelphia possesses with the likes of Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay and standout rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Without George Pickens, that puts more of the onus on the likes of Mike Williams, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III and Scotty Miller, the last of whom stepped up in a big way in Week 14 against the Cleveland Browns after Pickens was made inactive for the rematch due to the hamstring injury.
Pickens popped up on the injury report ahead of the Browns matchup last Friday as a limited practice participant and was listed as questionable entering gameday. The plan, according to Tomlin, was for Pickens to test the hamstring pregame and then likely play.
But things changed Sunday morning, which led to the Steelers shutting him down and then giving him an MRI after the game. That MRI revealed the injury was more significant than the Steelers had previously anticipated. During a Monday morning radio interview on 102.5 WDVE, Dulac reported that Pickens has a Grade 2 hamstring injury, which is a slight tear.
Typically, recovery time on a Grade 2 hamstring strain is 4-8 weeks but based on research from Steelers Depot’s Dr. Melaine Friedlander, the latest recovery time for a Grade 2 hamstring strain is 2.4 weeks. Still, that does put into question Pickens’ availability for the Ravens’ game, which would likely determine the AFC North championship.
It would be disappointing if Pickens couldn’t go for the Ravens game considering what will be on the line in that rematch. But the most important thing moving forward is making sure George Pickens is healthy for the playoffs. If that means being extra cautious with him over the next few weeks, then so be it.
