George Pickens is an interesting player, and not always in a good way. He’s the Pittsburgh Steelers’ best receiver, but he’s also one of their biggest headaches. While Pickens often displays his incredible talent, he has a problem controlling his emotions. When Pickens gets frustrated, it shows. He had multiple outbursts last year that hurt the team. However, Calvin Austin III disagrees with people’s interpretation of Pickens as unhinged.
“I just see the normal George [Pickens],” Austin said Thursday on ABC24 Memphis’ YouTube channel. “Obviously, the media, especially with being a Pittsburgh Steeler, a majority of the time they’re going to show a majority of the bad. That’s all you’re going to see.
“Also, at the end of the day, everybody’s human. I know that I don’t get treated in media the same way George does. I don’t get some of the same questions he gets. A lot of the stuff, it’s what comes with being a number one receiver, so it’s to be expected.”
Austin’s defense of Pickens echoes what many of his teammates have said about the star receiver. While Pickens does need to work on better controlling himself, the Steelers have dealt with players with worse attitudes. It isn’t hard to look around the NFL and find a talented receiver with a short temper.
That shouldn’t excuse Pickens’ behavior, though. Mike Tomlin made it clear last season that Pickens needs to grow up. He’s still a young player — Pickens turned 24 on Wednesday — so that isn’t too shocking. It’s fair to say he should handle himself in a more professional manner, but that could come in time. There’s no reason to give up on Pickens yet. He’s got rare talent.
“George is just a great competitor. He’s an insane athlete, and at the end of the day, he’s part of my rookie class,” Austin said. “Me and my rookie class, me and my guys, he’s just a friend. He’s definitely a guy that has crazy athleticism, crazy potential, and a guy that I think is gonna be a superstar in this league.”
Austin is correct that Pickens can be one of the best receivers in the league. His ability as a downfield threat is superb. Pickens likes to say he’s always open, and he can back that up on the field. Throwing the ball deep to Pickens usually ends in success.
He’s not a one-trick pony, either. Pickens can still improve in other areas, but for his size, he’s got impressive shiftiness. When Pickens has the ball in his hands, he can make people miss. He’s a willing blocker when dialed in, helping open up lanes in the run game.
Pickens does need to better control himself on the field. There were also reports that he was late to a game last year, which doesn’t help the narrative surrounding him. Austin is correct that Pickens is under a microscope because of the position he’s in. While he might not be as bad as people make him out to be, those outbursts are going to receive more attention, and he has to be aware of that.
It looks like Pickens is going to enter this season on an expiring contract. If he wants to cash in on his next deal, he’ll likely have to improve his attitude. The Steelers have shown they’ll move on from problematic receivers. Most of those players have struggled in the next chapter of their career. Pickens does not want to join that list.
