'He has to grow up': Another Steelers game, another George Pickens controversy

Brian Batko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Dec 1, 2024

Published in Football

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CINCINNATI — If you thought after taking two taunting penalties while flirting with an ejection, Sunday might finally be the time for George Pickens to step up and take some personal accountability, well ...

“Nah, honestly, I can just keep running my routes, keep playing,” Pickens said to the question of whether there’s anything he needs to do differently. “We’ve got refs out there to make certain calls for certain penalties, certain flags. If they don’t make it, then I’m pretty sure [the coaches] will take it up with them.”

Pickens ended with a shrug, which was rather symbolic given that he effectively side stepped the unforced flags and instead made himself more of a victim than villain. Clearly, the story surrounding Pickens was that he cost the Steelers 15 yards of offense on two separate occasions, once in the first half and once in the second, for unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

The first was for throwing the ball at a Bengals player, which also constituted a first warning, referee Shawn Hochuli said via a pool report. The second was for what officials deemed to be a violent gesture, not a second offense of the first foul, which is why he was allowed to remain in the game. Pickens claimed he was just signaling a first down. All’s well that ends well in a 44-38 road win, but Pickens is a weekly headache mixed in with plays that make him one of the top wideouts in the NFL.

"To be honest, it was kind of a ticky-tack game,” Pickens said. “I’m just happy we came out with the ‘dub.’”

But even starting quarterback Russell Wilson acknowledged he spoke to Pickens throughout the game to “make sure he kept his head clear.” And while Wilson praised his competitive nature, the oldest Steeler on the roster told Pickens great players don’t always need the extra antics when they expect to make those big plays.

Wilson called Pickens one of the best teammates but added he’s still learning. Pickens, 23, “has got to be smarter,” as Wilson put it.

“I thought he did a great job responding,” Wilson said. “He’s got to understand when you’re one of the best receivers in the world, everybody’s gonna have their eyes on you.”

Pickens did address that advice from his quarterback and came dangerously close to accepting some measure of responsibility.

“That’s something I already know,” Pickens said. “I’ll just probably say the refs thinking different gestures can hurt the team. But, like I said, I never want to hurt the team, and you never want to get penalties.”

Coach Mike Tomlin didn’t let his talented but short-tempered playmaker off the hook. Like Wilson, Tomlin noted the emotions of any football game but particularly a significant AFC North game. Tomlin intimated that defenders want to get under his skin, too.

“He’s got a target on his back because he’s George,” Tomlin said. “He understands that. But he has to grow up, and he has to grow up in a hurry.”

On his second penalty, he walked to the end zone himself and appeared to shoot an imaginary gun with no one around him rather than jog back to the huddle right away. Pickens, too, was asked if officials might have it out for him — perhaps due to a certain reputation he’s garnered.

“I hope not,” he said. “I’m only out here just playing like every other receiver in the league. Certain calls don’t go my way. All I can do is keep playing.”

The most frustrating moment for Pickens was, ironically, a flag that wasn’t thrown. He was contacted in the head by Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt close to the line of scrimmage and fell down, and Taylor-Britt intercepted Wilson, returning it for a 51-yard touchdown.

Pickens had a case for it to be a penalty on Taylor-Britt, but Hochuli’s crew ruled Pickens stumbled off the line and it was incidental contact that brought him down. Hochuli did admit that if there was a grab or hold, it was at an angle the officials couldn’t see.

“Plays happen,” Pickens said. “Guys hold me. I’m one of the top receivers, so I’m gonna get held. You’ve just got to make plays when they happen.”

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