Report Reveals George Pickens’s Irresponsible Move Before Steelers Prime-Time Game

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is a known concern in the locker room.

The young wideout is no doubt talented—Pittsburgh's offense looks quite different (i.e. worse) without him—but his antics on the field cost his team repeatedly this season. In public, coach Mike Tomlin has been blunt but patient in his assessment of the Georgia export, but you have to wonder how long the front office will want to deal with such a troublemaker.

Case in point: A new piece from The Athletic's Mike DeFabo alleges Pickens reported to the field for Pittsburgh's Christmas game against the Kansas City Chiefs 35 minutes after Tomlin's requested arrival time, which is at least two hours before kickoff.

"On Dec. 25, Pickens walked through the media entrance an hour and 25 minutes before kickoff," DeFabo reports. "That was after inactive players were announced."

Yes, an hour and a half still leaves a lot of time to warm up and prepare for the game ahead. But openly flaunting your head coach's requests, presuming the receiver didn't have a viable reason, is not a good look. Football is your job, and any normal job requires showing up on time.

Pickens will soon enter the last year of his four-year rookie deal and could be looking at a long-term extension depending on what the front office is thinking. But after another mediocre season, Pittsburgh has a lot of changes to consider in the months off—if they're not looking for more of the same, and not sure their expensive receiver will ever grow up, it's possible Pickens gets a trade instead.