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George Pickens Appears to Accidentally Spill Beans on Steelers' QB Decision

Pittsburgh's star receiver let the cat out of the bag.

Tom Dierberger

Pickens has caught 26 passes for 363 yards and no touchdowns this season.
Pickens has caught 26 passes for 363 yards and no touchdowns this season. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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The Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to keep their cards close to their chest when it comes to naming a starting quarterback for the Week 7 tilt against the New York Jets on Sunday night.

Steelers receiver George Pickens might have just let the cat out of the bag.

After practice Friday, Pickens was asked by reporters if he's noticed any extra effort put in by quarterback Russell Wilson this week, as the veteran was rumored to be in the mix to take over the starting job from Justin Fields.

"Getting on the same page [with Wilson] after practice throwing," Pickens told reporters Friday. "More than usual because this is his first start."

Earlier Friday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wouldn't let reporters know which way he was leaning between Wilson and Fields, stating that he plans to keep the starting quarterback decision "in-house."

Based on Pickens's comments, Wilson will be making his first start in black and gold on Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium.

Fields has led the Steelers to a 4–2 record to start the 2024 campaign, throwing for 1,106 yards, five touchdowns and one interception while completing 66.3% of his pass attempts.

Wilson has watched from the sidelines since suffering a calf injury in training camp and reaggravating it just days before the season opener. Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh this past offseason after signing a veteran minimum contract in free agency.

In the six games Fields started, Pickens caught 26 passes for 363 yards and no touchdowns for an average of 60.5 receiving yards per game—slightly lower than his 67.1 yards per game last season.

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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