Did Steelers’ George Pickens Tell Patrick Mahomes ‘Come Get Me’?

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens' oddly-timed interaction with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has raised some questions.

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) runs after a catch as Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) defends during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

As the ground continues to crumble around the Pittsburgh Steelers following a 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, wide receiver George Pickens' pleasantries with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have stirred up some controversy.

During a postgame interview on Netflix's broadcast of the contest, Pickens went and dapped up the Cheifs' star duo pair, as seen in the video below courtesy of 93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi.

What the HELL is Pickens doing? pic.twitter.com/Gktn3vBmEz

— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) December 25, 2024

The interaction, as a result, has Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio believing that he could potentially be posturing for an exit from the Steelers.

"My thought was, he's saying, 'Come get me,'" Florio said via video from the NFL on NBC's YouTube page. "I feel like Pickens has been at that point of, 'I've had enough here' for a while now. It flashes from time to time. He has visions of what he could do in an offense with a higher end passing game, an offense that throws the ball more than the Steelers do ... Think of all the guys who have been problematic at the receiver position that Mike Tomlin has kept under wraps until either the very end or after they're gone. With Pickens, it's been fairly consistent the past couple of seasons. But he's so good that you keep finding a way to try to get the most out of him.

"In that moment yesterday, that made me think that this offseason after he has three seasons in, he's eligible for a second contract. What are they gonna do at quarterback next year? There's just a ton of factors that come into that. But I'm starting to think that ... Maybe it's reaching the end of the road for the Steelers and George Pickens."

Pickens' contract situation will likely come to a head in the offseason as he enters his last year of his rookie deal, as Florio noted, which is an order of business that will require major attention from Pittsburgh. It would come as a surpirse if the front office traded him away, but crazier things have happened.

While he has drawn some negative attention since joining the team as a second-round pick in 2022, the 23-year-old star is undeniably the Steelers' No. 1 receiver and an indispensable part of the offense. The organization has already had trouble bringing in additional talent at the position as is, and it would be wise to ensure that they keep Pickens around as long as he wants to remain in the black and gold.

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