Steelers' Mike Tomlin Sends Stern Message to George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers wideout is becoming a concern for his head coach.

Dec 1, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) reacts to a penalty called against him for unsportsmanlike conduct during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was nearly removed from the team's Week 13 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. After receiving a taunting penalty early in the first half, Pickens found himself on the receiving end of another - but escaped being disqualified due to a technicality.

Pickens was given a warning that his first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty counted toward ejection. His second did not. Afterward, referee Shawn Hochuli explained why Pickens was not ejected.

"We ruled the receiver stumbled right off the line and then there was incidental contact that brought him down," Hochuli said in the post-game pool report. "If there was a potential grab or hold, that was at an angle that we wouldn’t have seen. But our ruling, again, was that he stumbled off the line and then incidental contact occurred."

After the game, head coach Mike Tomlin didn't hold back about the concerns surrounding the third-year wideout, and how he's reaching a concerning point in his career when it comes to his character.

"He's just got to grow up man," Tomlin said. "This is an emotional game, man, these divisional games are big. He got a target on his back because he's George, he understands that, but he's got to grow up. He's got to grow up in a hurry."

Pickens has been fined three times this season, twice for unsportsmanlike conduct. This comes after last year included several moments where his behaviour during games - and on social media - drew concerns about his attitude.

The Steelers will need Pickens to be available at all times the rest of the year, as their leading receiver is currently a top 10 statistical wideout in the NFL. But he'll need to sure up his act and remove the target on his back in order to do so.

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