Steelers' Mason Rudolph Praises Previously Criticized Receiver For Being "Team-First"

The Pittsburgh Steelers rattled off their third-straight victory to try and squeeze into the playoffs, and they did so in a very ugly game with terrible field conditions due to weather. Because of the poor field conditions, the Steelers opted to run the ball and stick to the short, quick passes, as opposed to letting Mason Rudolph sling the ball all over the field. That style of play lead to a lack of big plays, or even chunk plays, and that style is known to upset some players in the locker room normally. 

George Pickens has had his share of outbursts over not being targeted during certain games, or even consecutive games. He has shown his insane talents when the ball does go to him, and he wants to be a part of the game plan. His reaction to the lack of touches is problematic, but at the end of the day, he's a young player that wants to win, and he wants to be a big reason as to why they win. 

Ravens Successfully Shut Pickens Down

Pickens had another goose egg through the air, as Rudolph never even targeted him. He did have a crucial first-down run on a jet sweep, but that was his only touch of the game. The commentators mentioned that Ravens Defensive Coordinator Mike McDonald learned from the Week 5 matchup, where Pickens had one of the best games of his career, which included a 41-yard go-ahead touchdown. The commentators were also begging the Steelers to throw the ball to Pickens throughout the second half. 

Rudolph was asked about why he never threw the ball to Pickens in the game. The quarterback spoke about it, then quickly turned it into a positive for Pickens and his growth as a player and a person. 

"They double-covered [Pickens] most of the game, and I told him I'm very proud of the way he handled that. It was a very mature, team-first attitude. He wasn't whining or asking for the ball. He knew, schematically, they were trying to take him away. I think that's a form of flattery from the defense. They know how explosive he was. He blocked hard all day, and he was excited for his teammates. That was awesome to see."

Everyone has seen the clips and heard the narratives by now. Pickens seemed to act like a me-first player that was toxic to the locker room. He promised the media that his attitude would change, and he looks to be right so far. 

Steelers' Pickens Proves To Be Team Player In Week 18

While this is a great stretch, it will be very interesting to see if he keeps it up in the 2024 season or not. Even if different people have to keep drilling this stuff into his head, a happy Pickens makes for a much easier time on the field and in the locker room. Even if he's only making blocks during a particular game, he can do so much to impact the team. 

Pickens and Rudolph clearly have some sort of chemistry, so it will be interesting to see if the team continues down that route in 2024, or if they bring back #Pickett2Pickens idea and let Kenny Pickett try to rebuild the chemistry that they had in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Either way, as long as Pickens is happy and is producing for this team, there is a lot of upside for the young offense. 

What do you think about Mason Rudolph's comments on George Pickens' newly acquired maturity? Is it here to stay, or will he revert to the toxic version of himself? Let us know in the comments.

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