Tag: George Pickens

How does Mike Tomlin feel about George Pickens taking on a leadership role in 2024?

Steelers WR George Pickens is expected to take on more of a leadership role in the 2024 season.

History dictates the Pittsburgh Steelers will select at least one wide receiver in this week’s NFL draft. In the past decade, there have only been two instances where Pittsburgh hasn’t taken one.

2023 was a rare time when the Steelers didn’t draft a receiver, with George Pickens and Calvin Austin being the last ones snapped up in 2022.

With Diontae Johnson now in a new home with the Carolina Panthers, Pickens is expected to step into the No. 1 role.

“We’re really comfortable with the trajectory of George Pickens in terms of what he’s going to be able to provide us as a player, not only in terms of playmaking but what his experience within the room and within this organization provides us,” Mike Tomlin said of his receiver taking on more of a leadership role.

Overall, Tomlin claims to be comfortable with the wide receiver room as it currently stands.

“I’m comfortable with the trajectory of that room,” Tomlin said. “The guys come in readymade there’s a lot of talent available.”

He pointed out that there is always plenty of talent later in the draft. “If you look at the kid from the Rams (Puka Nacua) was really significant this year. I think maybe he was a fifth-round pick. That’s what’s going on in that position. So, it makes us all comfortable, not just us, but us as a collective of the National Football League.”

There is still a chance that the Steelers could trade for a veteran receiver. Given his problematic past, the thought of Pickens being the No. 1 guy should give Steelers Nation anxiety.

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George Pickens not among Steelers pass catchers that joined Russell Wilson for throwing drills

Steelers WR George Pickens was among the missing when players met up with Russell Wilson for throwing drills.

On a recent episode of Around the 412, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth revealed that some receivers joined Russell Wilson in San Diego for throwing drills.

With the team’s offseason workouts beginning April 15, Wilson wanted to get a jumpstart on building a rapport with his pass-catchers. Only their current No. 1 was not among them.

Freiermuth shared that he, Calvin Austin III and new Steeler Van Jefferson went out west — but no George Pickens. He didn’t single him out, but the fact that he wasn’t there is concerning.

Pickens may have had a good reason for not being there, but he should’ve made every effort to be. The two have zero experience together, and building chemistry should be a top priority. You’d think he’d be eager to meet him and get something going.

In Arthur Smith‘s offense, Pickens could have a breakout year. Smith loves drawing up sideline pass plays, which should feed into Pickens’ love for showing off his acrobatic athleticism. But they’ll have to wait to see what that looks like.

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Steelers WR George Pickens ready for a jersey number change

George Pickens wants that No. 1 jersey.

Tis the season for jersey number changes. Earlier in the week, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced the jersey numbers for all of the new additions including quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. We’ve already talked about former Steeler Antonio Brown having concerns with new Pittsburgh wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson taking his old number.

Meanwhile, Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is shooting his shot and trying to get Pittsburgh to change his jersey number to No. 1. So Pickens took to Instagram to plead his case to his team.

Pickens wore No. 1 during his college career at the University of Georgia. The Steelers brought in Fields in a trade with the Chicago Bears where he wore the number but the Steelers switched it up to No. 2. This tells us the Steelers aren’t giving any player No. 1 so Pickens is going to be out of luck.

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Steelers offer stands for FA wide receiver Tyler Boyd

The Steelers have reportedly made an offer to Tyler Boyd and are sticking with it.

According to Pittsburgh Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly, the Steelers still have an interest in signing free-agent wide receiver Tyler Boyd. This is in spite of the Steelers signing three veteran wide receivers already and scouting several top receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL draft.

However, according to Kaboly, the initial offer the Steelers made to Boyd is what they are sticking with. This means Boyd is going to have to decide if he’s willing to join the Steelers for whatever they have offered or try and do something else better.

The Steelers have already signed Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Cordarrelle Patterson this offseason but none of that should preclude Pittsburgh from pursuing Boyd. Boyd is the only guy who would be a true No. 2 receiver to pair up with George Pickens. If the Steelers add Boyd, that would put Jefferson and Watkins immediately on the roster bubble but wouldn’t diminish the interest in drafting a playmaker.

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WR George Pickens put on notice by Steelers’ offseason moves

Steelers GM Omar Khan set a precedent that the franchise is done dealing with entitled players who feel they’re above the team.

It’s been a whirlwind offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers — one like we’ve never seen before. General manager Omar Khan dismantled the quarterback room and revamped it with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

Khan also made a couple of other significant roster-altering moves, sending Diontae Johnson to Carolina and Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia. His actions spoke louder than words by establishing a precedent that the franchise is done dealing with entitled players who feel they’re above the Steelers.

George Pickens is one of those players, and if he wants to remain a Steeler, he’d better shape up or he’ll be shipped out.

Pickens, 23, displayed character unbecoming of representing the black and gold last season, throwing sideline tantrums and hurting drives with taunting penalties.

As Pickens prepares for his third season with a vastly different offense around him, he might want to work on the attitude because the trade deadline isn’t until October.

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Steelers willing to listen to trade offers for WR Diontae Johnson

There’s a real possibility the Steelers will trade Diontae Johnson soon.

According to NFL reporter Dianna Russini, the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting calls and are listening to trade offers for wide receiver Diontae Johnson. It was first reported that the Steelers were willing to shop Johnson if the price was right a week ago.

All it took was for a report like this to come out for teams to start to reach out to Pittsburgh to see if they could work a trade for Johnson.

Johnson is heading into the final year of his contract and has a $15.833 million cap hit for the 2024 season. Johnson has been the best receiver on the roster for three of his five seasons in the NFL. Last season we saw George Pickens step up and take over that top spot which is probably a huge reason why Johnson is on the market.

Ironically, the Steelers selected Johnson with a third-round draft pick they acquired when they traded away wide receiver Antonio Brown. Will the Steelers deal Johnson away? What impact will that have on the rest of their offseason? Free agency’s legal tampering period starts on March 11 and if Johnson is getting traded, it will happen quickly.

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Steelers meet with George Pickens-type WR at NFL Scouting Combine

The Steelers are scouting wide receivers heavily at the NFL combine.

In something of a surprising move, the Pittsburgh Steelers have spent a great deal of time at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine meeting with some of the top wide receiver prospects for the 2024 NFL draft.

One of those wide receivers is former Texas WR Adonai “AD” Mitchell. Mitchell’s game is very similar to current Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. Mitchell has plus size and athleticism, and has a knack for making very challenging, physical catches.

Here’s what one AFC scouting director said about Mitchell:

“If he can play every game like he played the Alabama game, he’ll be one the best receivers in the league. They have first-round corners and he gave them problems.”

Truth be told, Mitchell doesn’t look like a Steelers receiver at all. The biggest negative on him is his unwillingness to block in the run game with a close second being inconsistency when attacking the football in the air. At times he reminds more of former Steeler Chase Claypool than Pickens.

One George Pickens, even without the baggage, is enough for the Steelers.

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Steelers WR wanting Mason Rudolph at QB is just simple math

The Steelers wide receivers want a quarterback who can get them the football.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a quarterback controversy brewing and it’s going to get ugly. Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac reported that within the organization there is a divide as to whether it should be Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph starting at quarterback this season.

Dulac also noted that on the roster, it’s the wide receivers who want Rudolph to be the starter. Which makes perfect sense if you think about it. Pickett struggled all season to get the football to Diontae Johnson and George Pickens but Rudolph seemed to have no issue delivering the football.

At least some of that can be attributed to the firing of Matt Canada but nonetheless, Rudolph seemed to be on the same page with the team’s top skill players.

The rub is Rudolph is set to hit free agency in less than two weeks. If Rudolph is the guy the receivers want, will the front office pay up? Giving Rudolph a big free-agent contract could only damage the relationship the team has with Pickett and he would have to assume he is not in the future plans.

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Former Steeler Antonio Brown calls out new WR coach

Antonio Brown is up to his old tricks again on social media.

The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Zach Azzanni in part because of his no-nonsense attitude in hopes of getting the depth chart in order, especially George Pickens. Based on his resume he might be the best man for the job but former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown says he’s lying.

When Steelers writer Amanda Godsey posted about the Steelers hire of Azzanni, she noted that Azzanni was the wide receivers coach at Central Michigan. He was there when Brown played there. Which is true.

Godsey also said that Azzanni was the lead recruiter who brought Brown to Central Michigan. We assume this is the part of the tweet that Brown took issue with and prompted him to say Azzanni was lying.

So is Brown saying that Azzanni used his recruitment of him as a bullet point on his resume to help him get hired by the Steelers? I suppose if the team felt like Azzanni was able to keep Brown in check in college he can do it with Pickens now but that feels like a reach, even for Brown.

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Every NFL team’s receiving leader from the 2023 regular season

Each team’s leader in receiving yards from 2023

Look, we know the Carolina Panthers had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—particularly on offense. But fair is fair, and we already gave you passing and rushing leaders.

So, let’s finish it out and run through each team’s leader in receiving yards from the 2023 regular season.