Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Former player rips Steelers WR after another lazy performance

By Aaron Becker | Last updated 12/18/23

The Steelers' 30-13 loss to the Colts was quite embarrassing. However, the performance by second-year WR George Pickens takes the cake, according to one former player.

"When you don't finish your block and the running back gets tackled and your team subsequently does not score a touchdown, I take issue with it," former offensive lineman and CBS analyst Kyle Long said. "You know what else, the guys in that locker room should, and they haven't and I'm disappointed in that."

Pickens, Pittsburgh's second-round pick in 2022, has been highly criticized for his lack of effort for several weeks now and his performance in Week 15 may be his worst yet.

Not only did he not finish his block, which would have resulted in a touchdown for the Steelers, but he got mossed by safety Nick Cross for an interception in the contest.

MOSSED.

Nick Cross gets the best of Steelers' George Pickens for the Colts' interception.

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— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) December 16, 2023

There's no doubt the second-year wide receiver has all the talent in the world. But if he can't do the basics, he'll never reach his true potential.

Head coach Mike Tomlin called his recent sideline antics and frustrations a problem as well.

"It's a problem because it's not solution-oriented," Tomlin said, via Dov Kleiman. "You know we are all frustrated, but we got to manage our frustrations in a professional, mature way. When it's not done that way, it's not necessarily pushing us to solutions."

If the Steelers were winning, Pickens' antics may not be as big of a problem. But that isn't the case and now they are left to decide what to do with the Georgia product, whose draft stock fell due to character concerns.

It seems as though Pittsburgh has yet another diva wide receiver and Long believes it could be the root of the team's problem.

"This is kind of become a microcosm for what I believe the issues are in Pittsburgh," Long added. "I think that this team doesn't have leadership. I think that they choose their leader by who's the most skilled guy on the field, and unfortunately for them, number 14 George Pickens is the most talented guy."

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