Watching George Pickens has been fascinating this year. He’s been stupendous for the Pittsburgh Steelers, making big plays almost every week. With Russell Wilson, it looks like his potential is being unlocked. However, his immaturity has still been a massive problem. That monster reared its ugly head against the Cincinnati Bengals, with Pickens being called for two unnecessary penalties. Despite his issues, analyst Mike Florio believes the narrative around Pickens would be worse if he wasn’t with Mike Tomlin.
“We love George Pickens, big George Pickens fans,” Florio said Monday on Pro Football Talk. “Can you imagine what he would be with another team? We talk all the time about all the guys that weren’t problems who go elsewhere and become problems when they’re not under the influence of Mike Tomlin. If this is what Pickens is with Tomlin, what the hell would Pickens be without Tomlin?”
That’s a fair question to ask. Over the years, Tomlin has dealt with more than his fair share of problematic players. Antonio Brown is clearly the biggest example. On the field, Brown was one of the best receivers ever. However, off the field, he was a nightmare. With the Steelers, Brown wasn’t too much of a problem, but once he left, the whole world got to see a worse side of him.
There are other examples besides Brown too. Le’Veon Bell’s personal issues are well-documented. Fans will likely also remember what could’ve been with Martavis Bryant. Tomlin has his issues, but when it comes to managing players, he might be the best there is.
Pickens is similar to those guys in that he’s got a big personality and he’s ultra-talented. Without him, the Steelers’ passing attack would be severely limited. However, one way or another, he also has a tendency to hurt the team.
After the Bengals game, Tomlin was less coy than he had been concerning Pickens’ actions. His message was simple: Pickens’ behavior needs to change. At this point in the season, those kinds of stupid mistakes can be the difference between winning and losing.
There’s no reason to write Pickens off though. Like Florio says, there’s probably no coach in the NFL better suited to straighten Pickens out. He’s a young player standing on the grandest stage. Tomlin has experience dealing with more frustrating players. If Pickens can cut down on the boneheaded mistakes, he could become one of the NFL’s best receivers.
