After three seasons where he showed a lot of promise, George Pickens is no longer a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They traded him to the Dallas Cowboys, leaving them with a hole at wide receiver again. It’s probably going to be difficult to replace Pickens, too. For all of his faults, he’s an extremely talented player. It’s unfortunate that he couldn’t work out with the Steelers. Mike Florio thinks Pittsburgh is to blame for that, though.
“At his best last year, it was Russell Wilson uncorking the deep ball without regard to whether or not George Pickens was covered,” Florio said Friday on Pro Football Talk. “And George Pickens goes to get it. You need to have that faith in him, and you need to show the commitment to his skills.
“I think that was one of the problems in Pittsburgh. He’s highly talented, but I never felt like the Steelers fully embraced and cultivated the talents that he had.”
It’s debatable whether or not the Steelers ever fully embraced Pickens. With all the support that his teammates often showed him, it feels like they did. Despite his emotions sometimes getting the better of him, the Steelers continued to support Pickens.
Now, did the Steelers put Pickens in the best spot to succeed? Probably not. During his three years there, the Steelers’ offense was a disaster. There was next to no consistency at quarterback, with Pittsburgh struggling to find quality at that position. They also made other mistakes, like hanging onto Matt Canada for too long.
The Steelers did try to get Pickens the ball early and often. They knew what they had in him, and sometimes, their passing offense was at its best when they were just throwing it to Pickens, whether he was covered or not.
However, that relationship was also a two-way street. Pickens shares some of the blame for not being as successful as he could be in Pittsburgh. His outbursts on the field often hurt the Steelers. There were also several moments where his effort seemed to be in question. Reports also indicate that Pickens was late to arrive to at least one game last year.
Those actions likely cost him some trust with the team. How could they count on someone like that long-term? The truth is more likely that the Steelers and Pickens deserve blame for their relationship ending. Both sides could’ve done things better. The Steelers could’ve better supported Pickens, and Pickens could’ve shown more maturity. Now, Pickens has an opportunity change the narrative about him.
