Did George Pickens throw shade at Kenny Pickett on social media?
May 26, 2022; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) participates in organized team activities at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers struggled in their season opener against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, and one star player may already be frustrated with the team’s offense.
Second-year wide receiver George Pickens had some interesting social media activity after Pittsburgh’s 30-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Someone left a comment on one of Pickens’ posts that read “Nobody to get that man the ball tho.” Pickens gave the comment a “like.”
Steelers WR George Pickens liked this comment on his Instagram post:
“Nobody to get that man the ball tho.” pic.twitter.com/IgQXjM8XUY
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) September 11, 2023
Many interpreted that as a shot at Kenny Pickett. The quarterback struggled to get the ball down the field in the game and finished 31/46 for 232 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Pickens had just 5 catches for 36 yards.
Pickens may have been throwing shade at Pickett, but it is also possible he wanted to send a message to Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada. The playcalling was an issue on Sunday and a big reason Pittsburgh was just 5-for-15 on third downs. It would not be a surprise if Pickens felt Canada did not do a good enough job of designing plays to get him the ball.
Either way, Pickens seems bothered by something. The former Georgia star is known for making big plays and even had arguably the best catch of the year last season (video here), so he likely feels he deserves more chances. That is just something he would be better off expressing privately, especially after the very first game of the season.
