Steelers news: Pickens sets the record straight, Najee misses practice

Pittsburgh is preparing to host the Ravens on Sunday, and George Pickens made it a point to clear the air this week. Here’s the latest Steelers news.

It was an eventful Wednesday afternoon. After Mike Tomlin had his post-game press conference the day before, it was George Pickens’ turn to set the record straight about what went down on the sidelines. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for a game against the Baltimore Ravens and looking for their third straight win.

There were some interesting tidbits that popped up recently, including some interesting names on the injury report to begin the week. Here’s the Steelers news you need to know as we inch closer to the weekend.

Steelers news

George Pickens was clearly not happy about some of the things being said about him. Late in Pittsburgh’s Week 13 game against Atlanta, Pickens apparently had a brief altercation with coaches on the sidelines. Obviously, the media took this story and ran with it.

As a result, the rookie receiver made it a point to address the media on Wednesday afternoon. Before they asked a single question, Pickens attempted to clear the air — telling the media not to make a statement bigger than it is. Pickens was clearly frustrated about how he was portrayed when the camera showed him noticeably upset late in the game against the Falcons.

Steelers injury news

After Pittsburgh essentially had a clean bill of health in Week 13, a few important names popped up on the Steelers injury report this week. Najee Harris did not practice on Wednesday as he was dealing with an oblique injury. This same injury caused him to leave early during the Colts game in Week 12. Harris has been playing some of his best football as of late, and Pittsburgh might just be playing it safe when it comes to his health.

In addition, Malik Reed missed practice with a back injury, Chukwuma Okorafor was sidelined with a shoulder injury that forced him to miss some snaps against the Falcons, and Larry Ogunjobi missed practice with a toe injury. It’s also worth noting that T.J. Watt (rib) and Diontae Johnson (hip) were both limited.

NFL news

In other NFL news, ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed that All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller is out for the season with an ACL tear. This is a massive loss for a Buffalo Bills team that has a legitimate shot at a Super Bowl this year.

Meanwhile, in the wake of a season-ending injury to 49ers QB Jimmy Garappolo, many expected San Francisco to be in the market for recently cut quarterback, Baker Mayfield. Instead, it was the Los Angeles Rams who are getting the former number-one overall pick after putting in a waiver claim for Mayfield. The 49ers will roll with Brock Purdy for the time being. They signed Josh Johnson to be his backup.