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Mike Tomlin Demands More Maturity From George Pickens

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin wants George Pickens to channel his frustrations more productively.

Stephen Thompson

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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers' passing offense has struggled all season long and no one has been more demonstrably frustrated with those struggles than second-year wide receiver George Pickens. 

At times this season, Pickens has allowed his dissatisfaction with his lack of targets and production to spill over and manifest in visible demonstrations on the field, sidelines and social media. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has noticed and wants Pickens to find ways to channel those frustrations into more productive avenues. 

“It’s a problem because it’s not solution-oriented," Tomlin said. "We’re all frustrated, but we have to manage our frustration in a professional and mature way and when it’s not done that way, it’s not necessarily pushing us towards solutions.”

Pickens hasn't caught a touchdown pass since the last week of October, hasn't surpassed 100 yards receiving since a Week 6 contest against the Los Angeles Rams on the road and has caught more than four passes in a game just once in the last seven games. 

Tomlin understands that it's natural for a player with Pickens' pedigree and talent level to be upset when a slump like this hits, but as a professional football player, he needs to be able to absorb the circumstances and be part of the effort to make things better. It's a hard thing to do, but necessary for someone in Pickens' position. 

“I think it can happen to anyone when things aren’t going well, to be honest with you," Tomlin said of Pickens' frustrations. "We care a lot, we put a lot into it and so frustration is a natural human response. But I’m completely comfortable asking these guys to do unnatural things because they’re professional athletes. That’s our job to do the unique things and make them look regular, to make them look ordinary.”

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general. 

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