The Pittsburgh Steelers put themselves in an uncomfortable situation offensively after they traded away their best route runner, Diontae Johnson. Head Coach Mike Tomlin enjoys becoming comfortable in uncomfortable circumstances, however (which is one of his most used "Tomlinisms"). Johnson's trade to the Carolina Panthers didn't come as much of a surprise, considering it was more than likely going to be his last year in Pittsburgh regardless. With that, according to Doug Whaley, Steelers wideout George Pickens' true colors could be shown with Johnson being traded.
Throughout the 2000s, the Steelers have notoriously been known for having diva wide receivers. The list is rather lengthy, but more recently, Johnson and Pickens' antics showed they could be two more added to the list. Both have had some major lash out of frustrations over the last couple of seasons, but understandably so, as they were dealing with one of the worst offensive coordinators in the NFL. Aside from frustrations, the two have both been questioned in the past for their efforts on the field, like run blocking.
With the Steelers losing Johnson, and not adding any other star wideouts, Pickens will suit up as the number one option for their offense this season. Is Pickens up for the task? Whaley, a former Steelers executive, claims Pickens allowed Johnson to rub off on him a little too much, making himself vulnerable. Whaley was on Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan this week and detailed how Pickens isn't ready to be a number one receiver.
"I look at it this way: if he is that impressionable, you already got your answer if he's the number one or not. Jerry Rice wasn't impressionable. Michael Irvin wasn't impressionable," Whaley went on. "What I'm saying is, great players are focused on being great. They don't like anything outside or anyone else affect them trying to achieve their goal of being the best. And if George Pickens is being that influenced and it affects him, then you know what type of player he is. He's not a number one, and you don't pay him."
Pickens received some brutal words from Whaley, but the play-maker typically responds when the media doesn't support him. The week after he was accused of not blocking during a play versus the Indianapolis Colts, Pickens caught for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals in their home finale.
Pickens has a massive third year ahead of him, and hopefully the quarterback play he'll be getting is much better than the previous. He's been seen getting work in with new guys Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who both have more proven talent than Pittsburgh's latest quarterbacks. Along with the QBs, Pickens should have an improved play-caller, Arthur Smith, who should get Pickens a ton of targets.
After two seasons in the league behind Johnson, all of Steeler Nation has speculated whether or not Pickens can handle being the team's top wideout. He's proven that he certainly has the talent, but can he put some of the silly antics aside and become more mature? The 2024 season will be his ultimate test, and it could decide whether Pittsburgh wants to pay him like Whaley said.
Steelers' New Run-Heavy Offense Should Make Pickens' Task Easier
Smith's arrival in Pittsburgh after being fired as the Atlanta Falcons head coach brings back the sense of old fashioned Steelers football. With Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both having bright futures, they certainly enter the 2024 season as one of the best one-two punch duos in the NFL. Harris has rushed for over 3,200 yards in his first three seasons, and Warren is coming off of a career high of nearly 800 rushing yards in a single season. The two backs have performed in spite of their previous offensive coordinator, and now Smith has the chance to shock the entire league.
With the Steelers finally getting an identity back running the football, that could take a ton of pressure off of Pickens. With an elite level run game, Pickens will have plenty of one-on-one opportunities this season, and he'll have a quarterback with a good deep ball.
