Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens has been in the media quite a bit lately for his immature actions and reactions. It has fans screaming and yelling about the apparent lack of discipline on the team. While Head Coach Mike Tomlin has always played his discipline cards close to his chest, fans feel like they deserve answers after Pickens refused to block for running back Jaylen Warren. Now one former Steelers player is answering the question of what discipline looks like under Tomlin.
The incident in question isn't the first time Pickens has presented himself in a negative light. Even during his rookie season last year, he was seen throwing a temper tantrum on the sideline. While it is not surprising to see a talented, young player express frustration over the struggles the team has had, his actions are not helping make the team better.
Pickens has an incredible amount of talent, so it is a shame to watch this fall from grace. During his time at the University of Georgia, Pickens got attention for his quick hands and ball skills, but was dinged by many scouts for his antics, including some immature behaviors such as fighting with an opponent on the sideline during a game.
The Steelers have always had remarkable success corralling diva-style wide receivers, including the king of all divas, Antonio Brown. That is why most fans were excited when Pittsburgh selected Pickens with their second-round pick in 2022. He has shown flashes of brilliance, making exceptionally hard catches over his back shoulder as he tip-toed the sideline.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin Likes To Hit Players Where It Hurts
Former Steelers offensive guard, Ramon Foster, now co-hosts a podcast with Pittsburgh sports reporter Dejan Kovacevic that is aired on DK Pittsburgh Sports called The Ramon Foster Show. On a recent episode, Foster and Kovacevic talked about all of the craziness surrounding Pickens. They noted that Tomlin has never had to address any player's behavior this way before and he had refused to give any details saying they’d handle it in-house. Foster answered the question of whether or not he actually disciplined Pickens or not and if so, what he might do.
"The answer is a heck yes," said Foster. "I think the reason he doesn't give the answer publicly on how he punishes guys is because no way or method of punishing the guy to the public is ever gonna suffice or satisfy the public. Here's the thing, especially for a young guy like him, you always hit him in the pocket because conduct detrimental is the silver bullet that every coach has and there's no limit on conduct detrimental to a team. You can fine them $10,000 or you can fine them $50,000."
Foster spent 11 years with the Steelers and all of them were spent playing for Tomlin. He knows Tomlin and his methods well. Fans are screaming for Pickens to be benched, but Foster feels that isn't as effective. It also punishes the entire team, since he can be an asset to the team when he makes those contested catches. Plus if he is benched, he still gets paid.
Kovacevic said he was shocked, he never knew that there was no limit to what a coach can fine a player for detrimental conduct. Foster said he had heard of players being fined $150,000 before.
"So for a guy like George, I've [seen] them fine guys like that money for the most part because it really hits you harder than lack of playing time. I can fine you up to however much I want if it's conduct detrimental and you can still play for free or almost free. It might not hit you then, it might hit you later and it's usually in the pocket. You've just been splattered in front of your entire teammates, on top of that, you've got to earn the respect back. That’s a factor of being on a team."
It is unlikely that we will ever know exactly what Tomlin's punishment for Pickens was and if he fined him or not. The Steelers have three games left in the season and they need to win to have a shot at the postseason. While Tomlin normally coaches better, and the team normally plays better, after an embarrassing loss like they just had against the Indianapolis Colts, however, that former norm went out the window since they had three humiliating losses in a row.
The three losses and the feeling that the majority of the team isn't playing with heart is not giving the fans a lot of reassurance. On top of those things, starting quarterback Kenny Pickett will not be back from his injury and third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph will be playing. Considering how poorly back-up Mitch Trubisky played, that should give us hope, however, most of us have seen Rudolph play before and he doesn't instill confidence. Now is the time to put up or shut up, these players all need to take accountability and play their hearts out.
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