Steelers' Arthur Smith's Honest Appraisal Of The George Pickens Situation: "Anybody Who Is Out There Can't Hurt The Team"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde situation with wide receiver George Pickens. He is an incredible talent on the field; some analysts believe he could easily be a top receiver in the league. However, his outbursts are a cause for concern. In the recent win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Pickens was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct. Those flags have people asking if Pickens is worth the trouble, especially considering they must decide on his contract extension soon. 

The media has hounded Head Coach Mike Tomlin about Pickens' behavior. They seem to want to hear the details of how Tomlin held him responsible or punished him. While Tomlin did say that Pickens needs to grow up, he wasn't willing to go into details. Tomlin never shares that information with anyone and got frustrated with the media continuing to push the topic.  

During his recent press conference, Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith was also asked about Pickens and his antics. According to a tweet on X from Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show, Smith said they deal with these situations individually.  

"Anybody who is out there can't hurt the team..." said Smith. "You manage it case by case."

Smith reportedly added that he likes to work with players who are passionate about the game, and Pickens definitely has that in spades. Part of what seems to work against Pickens is that he gets so emotional. There was evidence of that in the interaction between Tomlin and Pickens during the Bengals game. 

The Bengals' defense took advantage of Pickens early, and Cam Taylor-Britt threw the third-year receiver to the ground and picked off quarterback Russell Wilson for six points. Tomlin immediately called Pickens over and talked with him. In the first episode of HBO's Hard Knocks this season, fans could hear Tomlin caution Pickens to keep his head in the game, saying this play would not decide the outcome. Tomlin is often applauded for his leadership, which was on display in this situation as he made Pickens look him in the eye and let him know he was okay. The worry is other teams will see that outburst and try to use that against Pittsburgh during this tough stretch.  

Pickens immediately bounced back and caught a touchdown pass on the Steelers' very next possession. He was the Steelers' leading receiver in a game where Wilson got the ball to 10 different targets. Pickens had just three catches, but made them count, picking up 74 yards, with a long of 36 yards and a touchdown.  

The Steelers Have A Big Decision Looming

The Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson before the 2024 season, leaving Pickens as the team's top receiver. Even though Wilson has been spreading the ball around, Pickens is clearly the most talented receiver on the team, and they need him. That makes dealing with his behaviors even more complicated. They can't afford to bench him because no one can exactly take his place. 

We saw the impact of his absence in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this season as an apparent punishment for insufficient effort in a previous game. While Tomlin wouldn't explain exactly what happened, it was obvious that Pickens was playing fewer snaps than normal and getting far fewer targets. When asked about it, Tomlin said it was simply "load management." 

All of that feeds into the question about Pickens' future in Pittsburgh. Will the Steelers choose to extend him this offseason, or will they do what they did with Najee Harris and force him to play another year before deciding? Most insiders agree that Pickens wouldn't handle waiting very well and also believe they want him to return. 

What do you think about how the team appears to be handling Pickens? Should he return in 2025? Click to comment below. 

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