When rumors swirled earlier in the year that the Pittsburgh Steelers have two problems in the locker room at the wide receiver position, we should have been listening. The writing has been on the walls, and we can no longer turn a blind eye to the disgraceful effort some of these players have given at times during the 2023 season.
Three weeks ago, Diontae Johnson became the subject of discussion among the Steelers media. During Pittsburgh's Week 12 game against Cincinnati, Diontae stood and watched while a Bengals defender scooped up a fumble and started running it back the other way.
This time, it's George Pickens' turn to receive criticism from the fanbase... and he has some answering to do.
The Steelers game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15 got out of hand in the second half. With Indy racking up 30 straight points and some bizarre things happening during this contest, not many noticed the lackadaisical effort from Pickens as a blocker until after the game was already over.
Following Saturday's humiliating loss, a video surfaced on Twitter that included a compilation of blocks from George Pickens and Diontae Johnson in recent weeks. The utter lack of effort in helping out the rushing attack will astound you.
The worst of all of them came from Pickens on Saturday against the Colts. As running back Jaylen Warren found an opening and burst toward the goal line, Pickens stood idly by and watched the defender he was supposed to block make a touchdown-saving tackle on Warren.
Steelers might have a George Pickens problem
This abysmal effort by Pickens should not only be scrutinized by the Pittsburgh Steelers fanbase, but Mike Tomlin should throw this tape on in the film room and have Pickens issue an apology to his teammates.
Sadly, this is far from the first time that Pickens has taken off plays in the running game. Against the New England Patriots in Week 14, the former second-round pick made a cringeworthy effort blocking a defensive back on a running play -- so much so that the announcers even showed him on the replay angle and accused him of taking the playoff.
Look, I know Pickens is frustrated. Pittsburgh's offense is disgustingly bad right now with no signs of life. But we've seen Pickens' attitude get him in trouble multiple times already in his first two seasons, and his demeanor is starting to become a legitimate concern. The Steelers need to fix this broken culture in Pittsburgh, and they should start by making sure George Pickens gets with the program.