When the Steelers released the inactives list for Pittsburgh's Week 14 contests against the Cleveland Browns, we were surprised to see George Pickens' name. The talented wide receiver popped up on the Steelers injury report on Friday as a limited participant with a hamstring injury, but we didn't read much into it.
After the win, Mike Tomlin told the media in his post-game press conference that he didn't feel like Pickens was going to be able to play the number of snaps' they were hoping for, which led to the decision to give Scotty Miller a helmet in his place.
Unfortunately, Pickens' injury appears to be worse than Tomlin let on.
According to a league source close to ESPN, this wasn't a meaningless tweak. Pickens is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring injury... and Steelers fans have a right to be worried.
Steelers could be without George Pickens for their toughest stretch of the schedule
More often than not, a Grade 1 hamstring injury can linger for 1-2 weeks. But a Grade 2 hamstring pull can be a 3-4 week injury. This is the last thing we want to hear as the Steelers look to cap off their impressive 2024 season by earning a high seed in the AFC Playoffs.
This couldn't have come at a worse time either. After cruising past the Browns, the Steelers will now face the most daunting schedule stretch of the season. Their next three games will be on the road against the Eagles, on the road against the Ravens, then at home against the Chiefs on Christmas Day.
Pittsburgh will need all hands on deck during this brutal stretch if they don't want to surrender the AFC North lead or their positioning in the AFC Playoff picture. Falling apart down the stretch could force the Steelers to try to make a Super Bowl run from a Wild Card seed — something they've done in the past but rarely happens in the NFL.
While there's no guarantee that Pickens is going to miss extended time with the hamstring injury, the Steelers need to be cautious not to rush him back onto the field. The only thing worse than not having Pickens late in the season would be not having him available in the playoffs.
At the very least, his availability in Week 15 looks to be in jeopardy. The Steelers haven't won a game in Philadelphia since 1965, and that might not change if George Pickens is unable to suit up against one of the league's best teams on Sunday.