With the talent that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens has, you learn to live with the good and the bad when it comes to the mercurial receiver.
On Sunday in Cincinnati in a 44-38 shootout win against the Bengals, that was very clear from the Steelers’ perspective.
Pickens made some huge plays, including a 17-yard touchdown on a WR screen and a 36-yard catch on a deep ball from Russell Wilson. But in the same breath, Pickens had two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, essentially wiping out a 21-yard catch-and-run and his 36-yard catch.
Following the game, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stated that Pickens needs to grow up in a hurry. Then on Tuesday Tomlin said he wasn’t going to feed the beast — meaning the media — regarding what his message is to Pickens behind the scenes.
Sunday’s penalties, and then his explanation, were additional examples of some of the headaches that Pickens can create. But correcting them, or even taking steps in the right direction in an effort to try and address the issue, is all on him.
At least that’s how former Steelers running back Merril Hoge sees it. Appearing on 102.5 WDVE’s Morning Show Wednesday, Hoge stated that it’s up to Pickens to figure it out by creating the right mindset to try and corral some of the emotional outbursts and displays of immaturity.
“Well, it’s all on George,” Hoge said, according to audio via 102.5 WDVE. “The people go, ‘Well, he’s young.’ Okay, what is he? Twenty-four, 25. Okay. Twenty-four, 25-year-olds, been in the league, what, three years? Okay. He clearly understands and knows right and wrong what to do and what you can’t do.”
Yes, Pickens is still in his early 20s and has a lot of growing up to do. But as Hoge pointed out, he knows what he can and cannot do. Officials come in at the start of the year and lay out what the league is cracking down on and emphasizing.
It’s pretty clear what players can and cannot do, especially from a celebration standpoint. Yet, that seemingly went in one ear and out the other with Pickens, who is an emotional player with a bit of an edge to his game.
Opposing teams know that and think they can get under his skin. The last two weeks, it’s worked with the Browns and the Bengals. Now, he has a rematch coming up with the Browns just two weeks after he got into a post-Hail Mary scuffle and then said the Browns weren’t a good team to the media.
For Hoge, if Pickens could just harness things, he could lean into his athletic abilities and truly become a great receiver. But right now, mentally and emotionally he’s holding himself back because of the silly penalties and post-play stuff with opposing players.
“He knows what he’s gonna get punished for. He knows what he should do and he should not do. You could bench him. You could do everything you want. Mike Tomlin could sit him for good, and then you put him back out there, it’s still on him,” Hoge added regarding Pickens. “At some point you just gotta take ownership of and being a real pro. Will he ever get there? That’s the biggest mystery. Now, history will tell you people like this, they just never get it until it’s too late. That’s the scary part, ’cause man, I’m telling you, that guy. I watch every wide receiver in football, there’s nobody as fluid.
“And he gets in and outta breaks. As athletic and pure as him, period? Nobody.”
There is no denying Pickens’ physical traits. He’s a freak athlete with impressive body control and high-end hands for the position. He gets open with the best of them and can win in contested-catch situations as well. There’s not much he can’t do at the position.
Where he holds himself back is between the ears from an emotional standpoint. It’s something he has to corral, and it’s all on him. Mike Tomlin does a great job of trying to manage Pickens and keep him in check, as shown on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” premiere on Tuesday night.
But there’s only so much Tomlin and the Steelers can do. It’s on Pickens. If he can harness it, look out. If not, he could really crash and burn.
