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Steelers' George Pickens Slams NFL, Referees

The Pittsburgh Steelers wideout has a major problem with the league.

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 -- The Pittsburgh Steelers were on the wrong end of a few controversial calls during their Week 15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, including an incident where the referees missed very clear punches being thrown by Eagles cornerback Darius Slay.

During the play, Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin was called for unnecessary roughness, while Slay avoided penalty. Afterward, the refs said in a pool report that they did not witness any punches, despite the rest of the world being able to see them either through television or social media videos.

"No punches were observed on the field. Since we had flagged down, it gave New York an opportunity to review the play as well. There was no video evidence of punches observed by the Philadelphia Eagles," referee Alan Eck said.

Steelers wide receiver George Pickens wasn't having it. In an instagram post showing the fight, Pickens commented, letting the NFL know that it's clear they have a target on Pittsburgh's back this season.

"But we got flagged," Pickens wrote. "But y’all don’t think it’s a vendetta against the Steelers."

This isn't the first time Pickens has made it known that the NFL has had an issue with players this year, and he's not the first Steeler to call out the NFL either. DeShon Elliott made his thoughts known after the Cleveland Browns game, saying the "NFL hates us."

While the NFL likely won't change, the Steelers may have to. With a "target," they may need to re-asses their playing style in order to avoid costly penalties, even if they aren't deserving of them.

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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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