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Steelers' George Pickens Ends Interview After Russell Wilson Question

The Pittsburgh Steelers wideout wasn't happy about having to answer about a crucial play.

Noah Strackbein

Dec 1, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is looking to move on from the team's recent struggles, and isn't adding anything to a controversial topic throughout the week.

During the team's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Russell Wilson threw an interception in the endzone while targeting Pat Freiermuth. After the game, Wilson took accountability for the turnover but also made it known that Pickens did not run the correct route on the play.

"Yeah, you know, I think he was going to go vertical, but at the end of the day it can't happen, it’s on me. I was trying to give Pat [Freiermuth] a chance. He's done a good job for us down in the red zone, and they made a good play," Wilson said.

Head coach Mike Tomlin defender Pickens, saying he had nothing to do with the interception. A notion that was quickly refuted by future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger on his podcast.

"Not at all. George's route running had zero to do with that interception. George was fine last weekend or last Wednesday," Tomlin said.

"Basically, you're trying to in-and-out the safeties and corners and then trying to find the seams down the field," Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. "Issue No. 1 is George Pickens didn't run his route. That's issue No. 1. Because if he doesn't run his route, the safety has no threat now."

When asked about the topic, Pickens didn't have anything to add. After asking back to the reporter if Wilson said the two were not on the same page, Pickens pulled up his face covering and turned away, ending the interview.

The Steelers as a whole have many issues to address during the final week of the regular season, which include several improvements on offense. They won't put the blame on Pickens for Wilson's interception, and will instead look to turn a corner and solve their turnover issues against the Bengals.

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

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