Maturity from Steelers X-Factor is everything we needed to see in 2024

When it comes to George Pickens, the question was never about his talent; it has always been about his maturity. Multiple teams reportedly took him off their board ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft before the Pittsburgh Steelers scooped him up in the second round. This is a choice they certainly don't regret right now.

Early in his career, Pickens did some things that rubbed Steelers fans the wrong way. At times, his blocking effort has come into question, and he's had a difficult time keeping his emotions in check. As recent as the Steelers-Bills playoff game in the Wild Card round last year, a furious Pickens could be seen chucking his helmet on the sideline.

However, we are seeing an entirely different George Pickens in 2024.

If Pickens ever had a reason to get upset and let his emotions get the best of him, it's with what we witnessed over the first two weeks of the season. In the opener against the Atlanta Falcons, Pickens had a 36-yard reception wiped away from a phantom offensive pass interference call.

In Week 2, Pickens had numerous game-changing plays negated by penalties. His 51-yard reception was called back due to a ticky-tack holding call from Broderick Jones, a Van Jefferson OPI call nullified his six-yard touchdown reception, and he didn't get credit for drawing a 37-yard pass interference call against cornerback Pat Surtain II.

As a result, Pickens finished his Week 2 outing against the Denver Broncos with a mere 2 catches for 29 yards in the box score. Through two games, Pickens essentially had an extra 130 receiving yards and a touchdown to his name that never counted toward his stat line... but he showed maturity through it all.

Steelers fans should be loving the new-and-improved George Pickens

Pickens has grown as a football player, but not as much as he has grown in maturity. The young wide receiver has been dominant at the catch point this year, and he knows he can reel in just about everything thrown his direction.

With so many things working against him just two games into the season, it's incredibly encouraging to see how he's handled adversity. If Pittsburgh's offensive X-Factor can continue at this rate, there will be zero reservations about locking him up to a lucrative long-term extension.

This isn't to say that Pickens can never get emotional again. It's part of the game, and emotions will get the best of him at times. Heck, even T.J. Watt was livid when the refs called him for offsides on his strip sack on Kirk Cousins in Week 1.

However, it's evident that this is a new-and-improved Pickens. If he can be the ultimate team player, the ceiling of this 23-year-old wide receiver will be even higher than fans thought it could be.