The Pittsburgh Steelers offense has stumbled a bit through their two straight losses against the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. In what seemed to be a promising trend upwards after a 44-point game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13, Pittsburgh's offense has only scored 27 points in the past two games. Costly turnovers have been a problem, but it has ultimately come down to the Steelers not having their star wide receiver George Pickens out on the field.
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Pickens had been ruled out for three straight games after suffering a hamstring injury before Week 12's matchup against the Cleveland Browns. It's been unclear his timeline of return, but there's optimism that he can play on Christmas Day against the Kansas City Chiefs as he was a full participant in Monday's practice. This is great news for Steeler Nation as Pickens makes the offense explosive, especially with Russell Wilson as quarterback.
Before his injury, Pickens received criticism from the media and fans as he committed self-inflicted penalties during games and insulted other teams and players (mainly the Browns) to the media after practice. Everyone had their own opinions of Pickens' actions, but it's undeniable the talent he has on the field. Richard Sherman talked about Pickens' value on The Richard Sherman Podcast and how Steelers fans now miss him more than ever.
“Sometimes your value is shown when you’re not there," Sherman said. "Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder and I don’t think Pittsburgh fans could be any more fond of George Pickens than they are right now because they know how much they need him in order for this offense to go. I think they appreciate the way he impacts the game a lot more right now than they ever have before.”
Without Pickens, the Steelers have averaged 248.3 yards per game through three games, a big difference from their season average of 324.9 yards. Pickens creates a threat on offense as he requires attention from opposing defenses. When Pickens is out, the Steelers don't have a true second receiver to create as much impact as Pickens does. Defenses have been stacking the box to stop the run with Pickens out, causing the running game to also suffer.
Other players have stepped up in Pickens' absence, but his presence is still missed as the offense looks different without Pittsburgh's top receiver. Pickens is eligible to get a contract extension in the 2025 offseason. It seemed like before his injury that some Steelers fans would choose to move on from the young wide receiver's behavior, but his impact on the offense has made a big case for him to stay in Pittsburgh longer.
With Pickens likely good to go Wednesday, the offense will get its best receiver back against a good Chiefs defense. The Steelers will need to win out to secure the AFC North and clinch home field advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs.
Steelers Need Another Top Wide Receiver After This Season
It was one of the most talked about stories during the 2024 offseason as the Steelers were heavily involved in the wide receiver market. Brandon Aiyuk was a huge name thrown around as well as others, but General Manager Omar Khan never made a huge move to get a receiver to go opposite of Pickens during the offseason.
Now, it's too early to truly talk about what the Steelers can do during the offseason, but with Pickens' injury, it shows that this offense needs someone at his playing level just in case something like this happens again. Whether it's signing a free agent, trading or drafting a rookie, Khan and the Steelers' organization will need to find a solution and look to boost the wide receiver room yet again.
Have you grown fonder of Pickens since he's been out?
