Steelers' Art Rooney II raises eyebrows with comments on George Pickens

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin directly said that George Pickens needed to "grow up" after the third-year wide receiver was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct during Pittsburgh's Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals last month.

Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II wasn't quite as harsh while speaking with reporters about Pickens on Monday. 

"George is a very talented player who has room to grow," Rooney said, as shared by ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "And we'd like to see him grow, and hopefully he realizes the potential that he has, but there's definitely room for growth there."

A 2022 second-round draft pick, Pickens has flashed promise as a pro but also hasn't yet shown he's worth the numerous headaches he's caused the Steelers during his young career. From this past summer through the end of the 2024 season, he got into "a heated exchange" with a coach during a training camp practice, wrote a profane message on his eye black for a game, grappled with an opposing cornerback instead of making a play on a last-second Hail Mary attempt, allegedly showed up late for Pittsburgh's Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs and indicated earlier this month he isn't optimistic about the future of the Steelers offense. 

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is among NFL insiders who believe Pickens may want to leave the Steelers once the new league year opens on March 12. Others have suggested Tomlin has had enough of dealing with Pickens' antics. 

"Every team seems to have one or two guys in that room that are — you have to manage them correctly," Rooney added. "I still think George has enough talent that we've got to try to work and see if we can get him to reach his, fulfill the talent that he really has. Who knows if we can get there, we'll see. But when you have guys that are as talented as some of the guys you're probably thinking of, you try to work with them and have them help you be successful."

The Steelers are among clubs that have been linked with Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, but it sounds like Hill is willing to stay put this offseason. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh could keep Pickens in the final year of his contract through this summer to see if he can erase questions some within the organization may or may not have about his dedication to the cause — unless, of course, the Steelers trade the 23-year-old for pennies on the dollar ahead of the upcoming draft.