The Pittsburgh Steelers are no stranger to talented wide receivers. The franchise has drafted extraordinarily well over the years, but character issues have consistently come up, which has led to the organization parting ways with guys like Antonio Brown and Diontae Johnson, most recently. The current top pass-catcher on the roster, George Pickens, has also had his fair share of both on and off-the-field criticized moments. This was highlighted once again after he decided to fight a Cleveland Browns player rather than try and help his team when a Week 12 game was on the line during a Hail Mary.
Pundits across the NFL's media landscape discussed Pickens' effort on the play, but his comments after the loss added to the controversy. He noted that the Browns came away with the win due to the weather and also stated directly that Cleveland isn't a very good team, knowing that the two organizations will face off once again in Week 14.
Pickens can back up his trash talk on the field, as he is an extremely talented receiver, but making excuses regarding the snowy evening did not sit well with the fan base. On Monday, team captain and special teams ace Miles Killebrew joined The PM Team w/ Poni & Mueller to talk about all things Steelers. It's safe to say that the veteran pushed back on a lot of what Pickens had to say after losing to the Browns.
"Well, we weren't playing the conditions," Killebrew said. "We were playing the Browns and they won the game, and we didn't. At the end of the day, that's [Pickens] opinion. He feels as though maybe the Browns aren't that good of a team."
It's pretty clear that Killebrew wanted nothing to do with the comment about Cleveland being bad, but he was very specific in regards to talking about the weather. Both teams had to play through some tough conditions, and Pickens was the only one to come out and say that the Browns were bailed out by the snow. It's good on Killebrew to represent the team in this light, and hopefully teach Pickens a little bit of a lesson.
Killebrew continued to talk about the loss to the Browns and even took a small little jab at Pickens. Although it was in jest, it definitely seemed like the special teams ace was making it known that Pickens' opinion wasn't all that necessary.
"The fact of the matter stands that they played a better game than we did on Thursday," Killebrew said. "So whether or not they're the better team, I'll leave that to critics and to people who maybe have better opinions than I do like George."
In the NFL, it all comes down to wins and losses. Any team can compete with the opposition on any given Sunday given the talented nature of each roster. Killebrew noted that, at the end of the day, that's what mattered against the Browns.
"But it doesn't matter at the end of the day. They beat us, so that's what it is."
The loss to the Browns certainly stung, but the Steelers will get a chance to get revenge back in the Steel City come Week 14. First, however, a huge divisional game versus the Cincinnati Bengals has to take place, and Pittsburgh needs Pickens to step up against a weak defensive opponent.
Steelers Will Have Big Decision To Make About Pickens In 2025
Everyone in the Steel City would like to see Pickens sign a contract extension in 2025 simply due to his talent. He can be one of the best wide receivers in the league, but character concerns for him have been prevalent since his college days at the University of Georgia. The Steelers have traditionally moved on from a player raising as many questions as Pickens has, but he simply may be way too good to not keep in the Steel City long-term.
