Steelers' DeMarvin Leal Opens Up About His Relationship With The "Misunderstood" And Polarizing George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of an offseason that they were expected to make several moves to improve their roster. However, the only move that had Steeler Nation jumping out of their seats was the trade for DK Metcalf, which provides the Steelers with a second wide receiver who wears his heart on his sleeve.

George Pickens was the lone proven wide receiver on the team prior to the Metcalf trade, and there were significant questions around his long-term future with the Steelers due to how he has his emotions on display on game day. Despite Pickens oftentimes being a distraction in the eyes of many with his on-the-field actions, his talent and play-making ability has often outweighed and outshined those moments. 

Mind games appeared to always be something Pickens employs on the other team's defensive backs, as he often appears to be doing things to get a reaction from them as well. Whether it be trash talking, aggressively blocking in the run game, or some energetic celebrations, he always appears to be able to invoke emotional responses. During an episode of the Psychotic & Iconic Sports Podcast, fourth-year Steelers defender DeMarvin Leal discussed his relationship with Pickens and the emotions he plays with.

"George is very misunderstood, this is d*** near my locker buddy," said Leal on Pickens. "He is emotional about everything. He hates to lose, he loves to win. He loves to get the freaking ball and make people look stupid in the process."

Hating to lose is never a bad thing, and neither is wanting to be the one on the field making the plays. However, when those things aren't happening, you don't want to be the topic of conversation because of your reactions. 

While Pickens is emotional, playing like that usually brings out the best in him according to Leal. He mentioned that getting his opposition to up their level of play, only improves Pickens' play even more. 

"He wants to get into your head though, he wants to play around with you," Lead continued. "It only makes him better at the end of the day. You got him and Joey [Porter Jr.] going at it in practice, they was already talking a mess to each other before practice even started. Then you get in practice and them two going at it all practice long. When he is in the game, he just wants you to give him completely your best so he can out do you."

The camp battles between Joey Porter Jr. and Pickens were tremendous to watch last offseason, and that is definitely a scenario where iron sharpens iron. Both players carry themselves with a high level of confidence, and neither back down from other alpha personalities. 

At times, Pickens can go overboard and it can result in hurting his team with some unnecessary penalties. If that one part of his game can tone down just a tick, he can potentially take his game to the next level in 2025. 

Steelers Need To Find A Quarterback For The Future To Pair With Pickens And Metcalf

While adding a proven veteran like Aaron Rodgers could potentially be the easiest path to offensive success in 2025, it doesn't mean it is what is best long-term for the organization -- or the Steelers' star-studded wide receiver core. At the moment, it isn't clear whether the Steelers will look to add a quarterback early in the 2025 NFL Draft, but a positive meeting with Ohio State's Will Howard definitely has that on people's minds. 

Should the Steelers avoid the 2025 NFL Draft class for quarterbacks, the 2026 class appears to be on track to be significantly better with several names being talked about as high first round picks. The Steelers are also in good shape from a compensatory pick situation in 2026, which could significantly aid in acquiring one of them, assuming they will need to trade up significantly to do so. Nevertheless, if the Steelers don't figure out the quarterback situation, this year or beyond, it's only a matter of time before some players like Pickens begin to get frustrated. 

Do you believe Pickens' level of emotion on the field heightens his level of play? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation