Steelers' Russell Wilson Shares Powerful Message to George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback shared his support for his talented wide receiver.

Oct 20, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) celebrate after combining for a touchdown against the New York Jets during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin risked derailing the season after a 4-2 start with Justin Fields at quarterback. But when the clock hit zero, Russell Wilson in his first start for Pittsburgh made history, piloted the offense to 37 points and showed a strong connection with third-year wide receiver George Pickens.

Pickens was having a solid year with Fields as his quarterback. Before Sunday night against the Jets, Pickens had 26 catches for 363 yards but no touchdowns. In Wilson's first start, Pickens' season took a turn.

After three points on the opening drive, the Steelers and Wilson had three straight three-and-outs with only one target to Pickens in the flat. After hearing it from the Steelers fans, Wilson and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith went to play-action, saw Pickens one-on-one with a defensive back not named Sauce Gardner across from him, and took a shot.

Pickens caught Wilson's 44-yard pass with one hand and his chest -- an incredible play that has become common for #14. After Pickens drew a defensive pass interference call on Gardner two drives later, Wilson tossed Pickens his first touchdown of the year on a goal-line fade.

"First of all, this guy is an absolute rock star," Wilson said on Pickens. "He's a superstar on the field, all the things he can do. [Pickens has] just got such amazing talent. I saw him play at Georgia and said 'who's this guy?'"

Pickens' talent is rarely denied -- the Georgia product is the clear No. one option for the Steelers' passing attack. However, Pickens has found himself in the headlines for various concerns about his effort level running routes and blocking, maturity after not getting the ball and/or a loss, and social media shenanigans. Wilson, the veteran, recognizes that Pickens, a third-year player and only 23 years old, faces a lot of scrutiny and hears that criticism.

"I've had a lot of really great conversations with George," Wilson said. "The scrutiny on him is always going to be real because when everybody knows you're a star they're always looking for something to knock you down on."

Wilson offered Pickens words of wisdom and is doing his best to show the young receiver the right path forward. Even in offering guidance, Wilson acknowledges the positive energy Pickens brings to the Steelers.

"The best thing about George is he loves this game. He's a light in the room in the room. When he puts that big ol' smile on, gets on the field, gets that first down and the whole place goes crazy.

On The Rich Eisen Show, Wilson summarized the words he offered Pickens leading up to their monster game against the Jets, where Pickens finished with five catches for 111 yards and a touchdown.

"God's given you amazing talent. Use it all," Wilson said. "Understand that you're not focused on anything outside, just be focused on the moment. I've really been harping on George and hard on him and he handles it well. He handles it all well. It's 'hey, we gotta get extra work, man. We gotta get extra work before practice and after practice. We gotta spend time on it. We gotta watch this film. We gotta talk about it. We gotta have conversations.' He's been unbelievable about that. The past couple weeks [have] been remarkable just watching his maturity, his grown, his mentality."

The Steelers are constantly rumored to trade for a wide receiver to accompany Pickens. If Pickens and Wilson continue to show such a positive connection, especially on long passes down the field, and the Steelers continue to improve their 5-2 record with Wilson at the helm, maybe the scrutiny will stop and the criticism will quiet.

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