Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin openly said earlier this season that George Pickens needs to grow up, but it does not sound like the star wide receiver was all that receptive to the advice.
Pickens has flashed outstanding playmaking ability through his first three NFL seasons. The former Georgia star has also been a blatant distraction to the Steelers at times. According to a story that was published on Tuesday by Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, one particular issue with Pickens arose on Christmas Day.
After missing two games with a hamstring injury, Pickens reportedly showed up late to Pittsburgh’s Dec. 25 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. DeFabo said Tomlin expects players to arrive at the stadium at least two hours prior to kickoff. Pickens got to Acrisure Stadium an hour and 25 minutes before the game started. He was not even present when inactive players were announced.
Excellent reporting from @MikeDeFabo. George Pickens showed up late for Chiefs Christmas game. That’s unacceptable. He should have been benched. Tomlin is the great enabler. pic.twitter.com/KtxfDGt9Oi
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) January 14, 2025
DeFabo later said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan that Steelers players told him Pickens is “often” late for practice.
Mike DeFabo says on @937thefan that Steelers players told him George Pickens is late for practice “often”.
Trade him now.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) January 14, 2025
Pickens drew attention for non-football reasons on multiple occasions this season. The most recent was after the Pittsburgh’s 28-14 AFC Wild Card loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night. Pickens seemed to throw the Steelers under the bus with a one-word response to a question about the team’s offense.
Pickens also got into a fight on the final play of one Steelers loss. After Pickens committed some boneheaded penalties last month, Tomlin had harsh criticism of the 23-year-old.
Though his talent is undeniable, Pickens seems to be wearing out his welcome in Pittsburgh. It would not be a surprise if the team explored potential trades for him as he enters the final season of his rookie contract.
