George Pickens’ frustrations over his lack of targets in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ passing game is a minor irritant to coach Mike Tomlin.
Tomlin said Tuesday that Pickens’ displeasure is a “non-issue” as the Steelers prepare to play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
“I know it’s a cute story for you guys, but it is a pebble in my shoe in terms of the things I have to do to get this group ready to play this week,” Tomlin said at his weekly news conference. “Our focus is on the Green Bay Packers. … It’s like reality television the way you guys follow social media and write stories about it.”
After being held to two catches for minus-1 yard Thursday in the Steelers’ 20-16 victory against the Tennessee Titans, Pickens removed all references to the organization on his Instagram account. He has since restored his account to its original settings.
Pickens also posted an Instagram story that included the words “free me,” which he soon deleted and later said had nothing to do with the Steelers.
When Diontae Johnson caught the go-ahead touchdown pass with 4 minutes, 2 seconds left in the game Thursday, cameras caught Pickens turning and jogging back to the sideline rather than participating in the celebration.
“Heck, yeah, he expresses frustration all the time,” Tomlin said. “He wants to be significant. He wants to be a reason why we are successful. I don’t begrudge that. I want guys who want the football. I want guys who want to be the central reasons why we are successful. That is a non-issue.”
Pickens was targeted five times against Tennessee, tying a season low, and he had a touchdown catch overturned when he failed to get his second foot down inbounds. Pickens also had five targets against Jacksonville when was limited to a 22-yard touchdown catch as his only reception.
Pickens frequently received double teams during the four games Johnson spent on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. That extra attention has continued since Johnson’s return. But after catching five passes for 107 yards against the Los Angeles Rams, Pickens’ numbers have dropped significantly while Johnson’s have surged.
“That’s everyday business when you have a dynamic guy,” Tomlin said about the double teams that Pickens faces. “He dictates oftentimes that it’s two-on-one football. … When he’s getting that type of attention, a guy like Diontae is going to have the opportunity to have a volume of catches.”
Johnson has totaled 20 catches for 254 yards in the past three games. Tomlin said Pickens’ double teams helped the Steelers rush for a season-high 166 yards against Tennessee.
“You’re going to have an opportunity to have a light box, and your run game is going to have an opportunity to be effective,” Tomlin said. “We appreciate his talents, we respect what people do to minimize his talents. We function as a collective. There are some benefits to our collective when people make a commitment they have made recently to minimize (Pickens’) impact on the game.”
Tomlin has dealt with disgruntled receivers posting their unhappiness on social media in the past. In 2017, Martavis Bryant posted on Instagram that then-rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was “no where near better than me.” That occurred after a game against Cincinnati in which Bryant had one catch for 3 yards and Smith-Schuster had a touchdown reception.
Bryant was demoted to scout team the following week and benched against the Detroit Lions because he said Tomlin didn’t like what was posted on social media. Bryant regrouped and had 32 catches for 369 yards and two touchdowns over the final eight games of that season.
Veteran receiver Allen Robinson, a former second-round pick like Pickens, said it takes time for young players to learn how to deal with their frustrations.
“The season can be a roller coaster sometimes,” he said. “It’s one of those things when it’s never exactly how you want it. It’s not going to be easy. We continue to talk to him and communicate to him. He’s a significant player in this league and is going to attract a significant amount of attention, and that’s from defenses trying to take him away.
“It’s continuing to talk to him and give him an understanding of that. Everybody wants to kill, everybody wants to have the numbers, but sometimes based on what defenses are doing … it can be frustrating at times when you’re not getting the ball.
“It’s staying locked in and staying aware of the big picture at the end of the day.”
