An old adage from Mike Tomlin, often recycled, is: “We need volunteers, not hostages.” » Le’Veon BellSteven Nelson, Melvin Ingram and, most recently, Diontae Johnson have all made it clear they want to leave Pittsburgh. We wonder if George Pickens is the latest to feel more like a Pittsburgh Steelers hostage.
Steelers Nation has witnessed obvious flashes of I’ve had enough here in Pittsburgh from Pickens during his career. It may have reached its tipping point.
Of course, like most athletes, he’s all smiles when his team wins. But the three-game skid in Weeks 15-17 could be enough to push Pickens over the edge.
Has Pickens had enough of the Steelers? Have the Steelers had enough of Pickens? These questions could be answered sooner rather than later. While Pickens is under contract until 2025the Steelers usually get high-profile players back from the previous season.
The best solution might just be for Pittsburgh to cut ties and get what they can for themselves in a trade. The last thing the club needs is an unhappy Pickens heading into a contract season. Wide receivers grow on trees and the NFL Draft will be here before we know it.
Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan might want to rethink their approach to drafting wide receivers with apparent character issues. They knew what they were getting with Antonio Brown and they knew what they were getting with George Pickens. While the college ranks are full of talented receivers, selecting one they know will be a problem. Really it’s worth it?
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This article was originally published on Steelers Wire: Steelers wide receiver dilemma: Is George Pickens the latest ‘hostage’ in Pittsburgh?
