Though much of Mike Tomlin’s year-end press conference had an eye toward the future, the final question called on the past. A Tuesday morning report noted George Pickens was late for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 17 Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the third-year wide receiver showing up less than 90 minutes before kickoff. Tomlin was asked if that report was true and was unable to provide an answer.
“Man, that’s a few days back,” Tomlin said Tuesday via the team’s Steelers’ YouTube channel. “I really don’t know I have the answer to that, to be quite honest with you. I got a lot going on in pre-game. I can’t answer that definitively.”
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo shared the information in a Tuesday column, writing he personally witnessed Pickens showing up 85 minutes before kickoff when team rules require players to arrive at least two hours beforehand. It was Pickens’ first game back after injuring his hamstring and missing three games.
Tomlin is either genuinely unsure if his star offensive player followed team rules and arrived for the game in a timely manner or, and this is more likely, he’s covering by providing a non-answer. If Pickens was late, Tomlin would’ve either been alerted pre-game or after the fact. The absence of any player, much less a No. 1 wideout returning from injury, isn’t something a team can hide.
Given DeFabo’s follow-up reporting of Pickens being habitually late and Tomlin not dismissing the story out of hand, all the evidence points to it being true. Though more minor, we even noted two occasions during training camp of Pickens making his way from the facility to the practice field after the first horn to begin practice had sounded, technically making him late for the session.
Pickens finished the year second on the Steelers in receptions but their leader with 900 yards. He added another five catches for 87 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Eligible for a contract extension, Pickens could command high dollars this offseason. Whether or not Pittsburgh has interest in paying him such remains to be seen.
Like the Christmas Day question, Tomlin said the team’s had zero talks with Pickens so early in the offseason, an answer more believable than his response to Pickens showing up on time.
