There has to be something in Pittsburgh water that a large number of recipients will drink.
George Pickens was late for the Steelers' Christmas Day game against the Chiefs, not arriving at Actress Stadium until after coach Mike Tomlin submitted his inactive list, The Athletic reported Tuesday.
Tomlin reportedly asked the players to be at the home court at least two hours before kickoff and Pickens did not arrive until an hour and 25 minutes before game time.
The Steelers coach was asked about that report on Tuesday, and said he “can't definitively answer” whether Pickens was actually late for the game, according to NFL Network.
Pickens had his usual surprising number (91 percent) and target share (seven) in the 29-10 loss.
He only racked up three of those punts for 50 yards.
Pickens has gone through a difficult period at times with the team and things are likely reaching a breaking point.
When asked after Saturday's season-ending loss to the Ravens if he believed in the team's offensive progress, the star receiver simply said, “Nah.”
On December 2, Tomlin criticized Pickens' maturity, saying he needed to “grow up” after a 44-38 win over the Bengals.
“He's got to grow up, man,” Tomlin said in his postgame press conference. “It's an emotional game. These divisional games are big. He's got a target on his back because he's George. He understands that. But he's got to grow up, and he's got to grow up fast.”
Pickens was also fined $10,231 in October for writing profanity over his eye black before getting into a shoving match with Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II.
He's just one of many receivers in Steeler lore under Tomlin who have dealt with personality issues that have hampered their careers.
Diontae Johnson was traded to the Panthers after five seasons in Pittsburgh marred by complaints about quarterbacks and a famous fumble in 2023 in which he stood on the sidelines while the Bengals got him back without a hitch.
Johnson has since been traded from Carolina to the Ravens, who released him, only to be picked up and waived again by the Texans.
Antonio Brown's well-documented exit from Pittsburgh included an altercation with QB Ben Roethlisberger and skipping practices before he was traded to the Raiders — where he began a troublesome tenure with the then-Oakland-based franchise — who released him before he played a game.
He continued to play for New England and Tampa Bay, although his career was cut short when he took off his jersey and ran off the field midway through a game while the Jets were playing at MetLife Stadium.
Other former Steelers wide receivers like Chase Claypool, Martavis Bryant, and Cam Sutton were suspended altogether at some point in their careers or were asked to step away from the team.
Pickens will enter the final year of his rookie contract and the Steelers could opt to explore his options through the 2022 second-round draft.
