Steelers' George Pickens Needed To Be Quickly Held Back By Pat Freiermuth After Arguing With Fans

The wheels are falling off for the Pittsburgh Steelers. During their four-game losing streak, everything that could possibly go wrong, did. Neither the defense nor the offense have actually looked good during most of the streak. People have been pointing fingers everywhere while Head Coach Mike Tomlin avoids accountability for anything. Now, they have to go on the road in the playoffs with no confidence and no answers to why they turned from a Super Bowl contender to a joke in the span of a month. 

This wouldn't be a downward spiral for the Steelers if it didn't include George Pickens showing his immaturity again. During the broadcast of the Steelers' Week 18 game, ESPN was showing a montage of lowlights from the star receiver, which included him screaming at the fans with Pat Freiermuth holding him back, then a clip of Russell Wilson trying to calm him down on the bench. 

Obviously, players have bad days every now and then, no matter how good they are. However, it's a problem when someone responds to those negatives the way that Pickens usually does. Every time he seems to be finally maturing and getting his emotions in check, he has some form of outburst that completely flips the script right back on him.

Steeler Nation is always rowdy, whether it's for or against its own team. In this case, the black and gold faithful were frustrated with Pickens' struggles and booed him. With how long Pickens has been in Pittsburgh, he should expect this kind of reaction from the fans, as they don't take too kindly to poor performances.

Instead, the broadcast caught Freiermuth trying to hold Pickens back as he went after the fans. Talking trash to your own fanbase is never a good sign, especially when they have reasons to be angry. The young receiver should have just shut out the noise and focused on what he had to do to keep the negatives from piling up on each other.

Wilson has been shown to be a big-time motivator on Hard Knocks: In Season With The AFC North. While it is unclear exactly what he told his wideout, it's safe to say that he was trying to help him focus on the game. Pickens' problems may have been the difference between a win and a loss in Week 18. 

During his post-game press conference, Wilson said that the Steelers still need Pickens, and that he still believes in him. His message to the receiver during the game was likely along those lines. He's not wrong either; the Steelers desperately need Pickens. Morale is already at an all-time low for the Steelers, so they need Pickens to recover from this terrible night and ball out in the Wild Card.

Steelers May Be Ready To Move On From George Pickens

In the 2024 offseason, the Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson despite not having a surefire plan to replace him. Even though the Steelers lack receiver talent, there is no reason to think that the Steelers won't go down that route again. Wide receiver will be a primary target in the offseason anyways, so why not keep loading up on the best?

If the Steelers do get a quality draft pick in exchange for Pickens, they could easily turn that into another great wideout. They are known for being elite at developing receivers, so why not keep going down that route? Sign a big-time receiver, draft a high-ceiling prospect, and go from there. If Pickens is going to keep being a detriment to the team, he can be shown the door.

What do you think about Pickens' antics in the Steelers' Week 18 loss? Let us know in the comments.

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