George Pickens, a wide receiver for the Steelers, attributes his decision not to engage in blocking during a Jaylen Warren run to concerns about potential injury. He points the blame at the media for misconstruing his intention.
The reason George Pickens didn’t complete his block during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ game against Indianapolis was fear of injury, particularly wanting to avoid a situation like Tank Dell’s season-ending injury. Dell, a Houston Texans receiver, suffered a fractured fibula while blocking on a touchdown run in early December. Pickens, criticized for his perceived lack of effort, explained that he didn’t want to risk injury and emphasized the ease of getting run over while blocking.
Pickens attributed the criticism to media coverage, stating that those who don’t play football shouldn’t judge his actions. The incident followed comments from coach Mike Tomlin about Pickens’ frustration not being solution-oriented, although Pickens denied a meeting with Tomlin, later clarified as a misunderstanding about the timing.
Questions about Pickens’ on-field conduct date back to his college career at Georgia, and he believes this, along with an ACL tear in March 2021, contributed to his second-round draft position in 2022. Pickens feels singled out by the media, especially regarding his frustration with his role in the Steelers’ offense.
He defended himself by pointing out his growth in various aspects of the game, including routes, yardage, catch radius, and run after catch. Pickens deemed it hypocritical for the media to question his blocking after praising it last season.
Regarding concerns about discipline or benching from Tomlin, Pickens stated it’s the media’s role to rally around him. Teammate Diontae Johnson emphasized supporting Pickens and dispelled the notion that Pickens is the problem with the offense, acknowledging the emotional challenges inherent in the game. Despite Pickens’ consistent production, he has faced scrutiny for recent performance and behavior on the field.
