The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an eventful first two practices of training camp. Presumptive starting quarterback, Russell Wilson has missed each day so far with a calf injury, and Justin Fields has shown some elite flashes. George Pickens is already making noise after getting into an altercation with Zach Azzanni, however. The new wide receivers coach has made quite the impression in Latrobe with his coaching style thus far.
Azzanni is one of the many new additions to the Steelers' coaching staff. He made headlines Thursday after getting on Pickens for showing a poor effort during a play, which Pickens didn't take kindly to. This is natural in a coaching relationship, but it's safe to say the Steelers have never had a coach like this to reel in the receivers. Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke about his new wide receivers coach and his coaching style during his post-practice press conference on Friday.
"He's detailed, he's a professional. He's been around the block and back. I've known Zach [Azzanni] and known of Zach for a long time."
It doesn't seem as though Tomlin took any issue with the way Azzanni handled his situation with Pickens on Thursday. He was brought in to coach him, and that's what he intends to do. He already made a point in the offseason to state that he "needs more" from Pickens, and it seems he's doing everything in his power to get more out of the third-year wide receiver.
Azzanni has been seen by fans and media personnel being extremely animated with his players during drills. The Pittsburgh wide receiver room has been productive, but could certainly do better with behavior on the sidelines and situations where a lack of effort is shown. It's part of the reason Diontae Johnson was traded away, and Azzanni is coming in to stop that issue.
Pickens is entering his first season as a true number one wide receiver with the Steelers. He has more pressure on him than ever. He will be facing more defensive attention, which could be discouraging at times and get him frustrated. These trials and tribulations are what Azzanni is preparing him for, and teaching him how to fight through it and still play his game at a high level.
The receiver has improved each and every year that he has been in the league, and that should continue in 2024. He undoubtedly has the best quarterback situation that he has seen in the league, and new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith, shouldn't have any issues getting him involved. Pickens is striving to be the best, and he should be able to eclipse his career-best year from 2023.
Steelers' Zach Azzanni Is The Perfect Man To Coach George Pickens
Azzanni got his start coaching in the NFL back in 2017 when he became the wide receivers coach for the Chicago Bears. He has bounced around some, holding the same position with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets as well. He was with the Broncos during Wilson's first year there in 2022. He has coached players like Courtland Sutton and Garrett Wilson, and has plenty of experience up until this point in his career.
Pickens might be his biggest challenge yet. He seems like one of the more difficult players to coach at the receiver position, and gets discouraged easily. He now has a coach that will be hard on him, and hopefully make the questionable behavior and antics from Pickens stop. The Steelers' offense under Smith will likely be heavily focused on the run, meaning Pickens will need to be a factor as a blocker which became an issue in 2023.
If Pickens can learn to put the team first while also improving his own game, he can be a special player. It's now Azzanni's job to unlock that side of him.
