Report: George Pickens Showed Up Late to Steelers Game
The George Pickens saga continues to drag on for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as The Athletic's Mike DeFabo has reported that the wide receiver showed up late to the team's Week 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.
"When he was finally healthy, how did he respond?" DeFabo wrote. "By showing up late for the Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Tomlin asks players to report to games at least two hours before kickoff. On Dec. 25, Pickens walked through the media entrance an hour and 25 minutes before kickoff. That was after inactive players were announced."
As DeFabo noted, Pickens made his return from a three-week absence due to a hamstring injury in that contest, though he clearly didn't leave a good impression. He finished the day with three catches for 50 yards while drawing a fine for taking his helmet off on the field of play and putting little effort in on one of his routes, which led to a red zone interception in a 29-10 Steelers loss.
The 23-year-old was productive this season, finishing with 59 receptions for 900 yards and three touchdowns over 14 games, but his behavior has become a sore spot for Pittsburgh.
After reportedly drawing over $200,000 in fines during the 2023 campaign, Pickens closed out 2024 with just over $90,000 in total damages that he's had to pay back to the NFL.
That amount also doesn't reflect his fight with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II back in Week 12, nor his decision to argue with fans from the sideline in Week 18 versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pickens will enter the last year of his rookie deal in 2025, and his future with the Steelers appears to be up in the air. He's undeniably their top offensive weapon, though the organization may still choose to move on from him at a certain point if they feel that the bad outweighs the good.