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Steelers' Jaylen Warren Makes Clear Statement About How He Feels About George Pickens Not Blocking For Him
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers have an incredible amount of drama in the locker room as a three-game losing streak has significantly hurt their playoffs hopes. Most of the storylines have been due to quotes from wide receiver George Pickens and he clearly isn't happy with how he has been portrayed in the media. His actions on the field and during interviews, however, have a lot of people wondering if he is best suited to play for someone else in 2024. Overall, it's unlikely he leaves town via trade entering just his third season, but his actions both on and off the field have been concerning, especially due to his character concerns coming out of college.

In a Week 15 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Pickens' efforts on the field were called into question when he decided not to block for Jaylen Warren near the goal line because he apparently was afraid of a potential injury if he were to get rolled up on.

His comments weren't exactly ones that should spark favoritism in the locker room. Warren finally responded on Wednesday. According to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Warren made his first comments since the video went viral in the football world. It clearly made Warren feel some type of way when it comes to how Pickens is as a teammate.

“Some people play the game differently,” Warren said. “If I was in that position I would have blocked for him. But we play differently, so...”

Warren has a great story and has burst on the scene due to hard work and determination as an undrafted player. Pickens, on the other hand, has all of the talent in the world and was a second-round pick. They have different stories, which might lead one to believe that Pickens thinks he doesn't have to play as hard on the field to hold onto his job.

Warren also told media on Wednesday that he understands maybe where the wideout was coming from, but the end of his comment seemed to point at him believing that Pickens is a bit selfish and not a team player.

“I see where he’s coming from,” Warren said per Fittipaldo. “It is what it is. At the end of the day, he was doing what he thought was best for him.”

Steelers Have A Serious Problem On Their Hands With Pickens

The immaturity from Pickens is very evident when he speaks to the media. This is going to be a hot topic throughout the 2024 offseason, especially if the Steelers fail to miss the playoffs. Winning cures a lot of things, but Pickens' antics on and off the field are being highlighted because of a three-game losing streak. He seemed to love blocking during his rookie year and now, in one of the biggest games of the season, he didn't feel like blocking near the goal line because he feared an injury?

Pittsburgh is officially in must-win situations for the remainder of the 2023 regular season. The playoff hopes are not very high after a December collapse. All local and national eyes will be on how the team, and Pickens specifically, respond. Warren's comments aren't encouraging though, and definitely give people on the outside an idea of how the Pickens' teammates are feeling.

This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

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