George Pickens Imitates Marshawn Lynch's Iconic Press Conference After Browns Debacle

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Benedetto Vitale | Last updated Nov 29, 2024 2:53 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to 8-3 on the season after suffering a 24-19 Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns on "Thursday Night Football." However, wide receiver George Pickens stole the spotlight after getting into a fight with cornerback Greg Newsome once the game concluded.

A fine has yet to be announced for the 23-year-old wide receiver for the incident between himself and Newsome. The league is currently reviewing the postgame tiff and will announce a final decision before Sunday's Week 13 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Pickens has been fined twice already this season. First, he was fined $10,230 for his actions during the Steelers' 20-17 Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys for ripping Jourdan Lewis down by his face mask. The second was a fine of $16,883 in the 28-27 Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders. The league believed Pickens utilized an "aggressive stiff arm."

With a potential fine hanging in the balance, Pickens fielded questions from the media on Friday. The Steelers star was asked a question about his fight with Newsome immediately after the game. Pickens stated, "I'm just here so I won't get fined," pulling inspiration from an iconic press conference with former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.

George Pickens opted to go the Marshawn Lynch route about any question related to the scuffle at the end of the Browns game and on one about how to improve the red zone offense.

He also said Cincinnati had a “potent” offense. pic.twitter.com/SodO4LFePb
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) November 29, 2024

Lynch famously repeated "I'm just here so I won't get fined," during Media Day ahead of Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. The former star running back notoriously hated speaking with the media and chose to repeat that phrase to avoid being fined $500,000.

Pickens used Lynch's famous phrase to essentially plead the fifth. Regardless, the league is likely to fine the Steelers' star wideout, as the NFL doesn't put up with fights. It's estimated Pickens will be fined somewhere between $39,500 to $79,000 for his actions in Week 12. However, there is a possibility Pickens is fined outside of those numbers.

Pickens has been fined several times throughout his career in the league. He's been known as a hot-headed player since his days in college playing for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Despite that, Pickens has shown signs of being a potential superstar talent for the Steelers. In the 2023 season, he surpassed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time of his career. This season, Pickens has recorded 52 receptions, 776 receiving yards, and two touchdowns through 11 games played.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: