Steelers' George Pickens Praised By The Kelce Brothers For Fighting Through Adversity And Having The Best Game Of His Career

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a lot of drama in their wide receiver room in 2023, mainly due to antics from second-year wide receiver George Pickens and at times, because of Diontae Johnson. Both have been scrutinized a ton in the media for their off-the-field behavior, as well as their effort on the gridiron. Pickens in particular has faced a lot of blame for his effort in Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts, but he made up for it by putting together a superstar performance against the Cincinnati Bengals. Both NFL stars Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce were in awe of Pickens' play. 

Steelers' Pickens Praised By The Kelce Brothers

Pickens had what was the best game of his career in Week 16 against Cincinnati in a spot where the Steelers absolutely needed to win. He had to deal with critics the entire week leading up to the game because of his effort in run blocking against the Colts the week prior, and then his comments that ensued. It's safe to say Pickens was dealing with a lot of adversity as he ran on the field against the Bengals, and he certainly silenced the critics. The Kelce brothers, particularly Travis, talked about Pickens and how they loved the way he played in Week 16 on their podcast, New Heights. 

"Everybody loved, loved, loved to mention how he was not blocking for the Steelers running backs and said that he wasn't a good teammate and that he only enjoyed playing football when he was catching the football. Well, George caught the football d*mn well. I'll tell you what man, he was flying around, nobody could catch this dude. I love it when somebody just has a great game after everyone doubts them and doubts their integrity. I could be happy for George Pickens, man."

Pickens finished the game with 195 yards and two touchdowns on just four receptions. It was the first time he has had multiple touchdowns in a game in his young career and it was his career high in receiving yards. He was a key factor in the Steelers' blowout victory, as they beat the Bengals by a score of 34-11 and snapped their three-game losing streak.

Travis is an outspoken individual that is used to being in the public eye, especially since he began dating Taylor Swift. He has had his moments of outbursts on the field for the Kansas City Chiefs and has certainly been scrutinized a ton by the media. Jason, on the other hand, has kept to himself for the majority of his career and is one of the most respected players in the league. Even he had a respect for the way Pickens played after being criticized throughout the entire week. 

"Whenever anybody is going through adversity and they come out and they perform, it doesn't matter, it's the greatest thing to watch ever. Four catches for 195 yards, I mean he's basically averaging 50 yards a catch, we can deal with your run blocking." 

This game helped Pickens earn the respect of two of the best players in the league. Both Jason and Travis are sure-fire Hall of Famers, and are some of the best to ever do it at their respective positions. Gaining the respect from those two for the way Pickens' bounced back must feel amazing for the second-year player.

Pickens will need to continue his great play over the last two weeks of the regular season, as the Steelers attempt to force their way into the postseason. The Steelers have two tough matchups coming their way as they take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17 and then the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18, both games being on the road. The Steelers still have a slight chance to make the playoffs, but they will need to win out in order to increase their odds. 

What do you think of the Kelce's comments on Pickens? Let us know in the comments below!

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