When he was on the field, former NFL WR Josh Gordon was one of the best players in football. Off-the-field issues plagued Gordon, though, and despite leading the NFL in receiving with the Cleveland Browns in 2013, he never was able to reach the 1,000-yard threshold again. Gordon recently spoke with Kyle Odegard for CasinoBeats, and he said that George Pickens is the receiver who reminds him the most of himself on the field. He also offered some advice to Pickens, whose effort and maturity have been questioned at times.
“The off-the-field stuff, I can’t touch on it too much because it’s personal, right? I can’t say if he’s dealing with anything, but if someone says it then it becomes a thing, and it becomes reality: oh, he’s a bad-effort guy,” Gordon said. “Maybe he is just tired, but that’s a part of professionalism. If you’re the No. 1 guy, you have to always be in the game, and there’s never an off switch with you. We don’t want to see you bitch and moan.
“We want to see you go 110% because that’s what you’re here to do. If that’s the demand, and if he’s ready for that, then the rest should take care of itself. He’ll make that decision and you’ll see a different player. Mentally, he’ll be locked in. Because talent isn’t the issue.”
While Gordon’s off-the-field issues were mostly related to frequent suspensions for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy and Pickens’ are more so about his attitude and effort, it’s clear that Gordon doesn’t want Pickens to suffer the same fate as he did, as a prolific receiver early in his career who could never recapture the same magic.
“I’d love to see him make a huge splash (in 2025), like a 1,400-yard season,” Gordon said. “He’s a dominant-level guy. It should be child’s play in the secondary after awhile against some of these teams. There’s no way they should be able to play zone defense and stop you. There’s no way.”
It’s a big year for Pickens as he’ll be entering a contract year, assuming the Steelers don’t lock him up to an extension before the season. That seems unlikely at this point, and so Pickens will be out to prove that he’s worth a contract that could pay him at the top of the receiver market for the Steelers or another team. George Pickens has already proven he can be a No. 1 receiver, although the Steelers would probably like more consistency out of him, so the big question is going to be if he can stay even-keeled and not let his emotions get the better of him.
As Gordon said, that’s up to him. Last year, Pickens got into an altercation after the game twice, first with Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis and then with Browns CB Greg Newsome II. He’s going to have to show the Steelers that he can stay level-headed and be an impact player without being too emotional.
If he can do so is an open question, and 2025 will be telling to determining Pickens’ future in Pittsburgh and whether his attitude can change.
