Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin raised some eyebrows when he said that wide receiver George Pickens has “just gotta grow up” after Pickens was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct in the club’s 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday.
On Thursday, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith used his media availability to send somewhat of a message to Pickens.
“Ultimately anybody that’s out there, you can’t do things that hurt the team,” Smith said, as shared by Josh Carney of Steelers Depot. “That’s really what it comes down to. Different guys play with different passion. Obviously when any player we’ve had, when you’re doing things that hurt the team, those are different stories. So, you manage it case by case. Every player I’ve had has been different.”
Maturity concerns have hovered over Pickens throughout his NFL career that began when the Steelers made him a second-round draft pick in the spring of 2022. Just this year, he got into “a heated exchange” with a coach during training camp, wrote a profane message on his eye black for a game and later grappled with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II during Pittsburgh’s last-second Hail Mary throw that was knocked down in the team’s Week 12 loss on Nov. 21.
According to ESPN stats, Pickens leads the Steelers with 55 receptions, 90 targets and 850 receiving yards. He’s tallied three touchdown grabs across Pittsburgh’s first 12 games.
“…The thing I’ve always said is when you have a guy that likes to work and loves football,” Smith continued, “those are different issues. Biggest problem I’ve had with guys are guys that are maybe cursed with a lot of ability and they play because they’re good at it, and they don’t have the same passion. …Thankfully we got guys out there that love to play and they work, and these practices the last couple weeks have been as good as any practices I’ve been around.”
That’s all well and good, but The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo noted earlier on Thursday that the Steelers are soon going to have to decide if they want to commit real money to Pickens or discard yet another talented but problematic playmaker. For now, Smith and Tomlin will simply hope Pickens keeps his cool when 9-3 Pittsburgh hosts 3-9 Cleveland this Sunday.
As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Steelers as 6.5-point favorites for that contest.
