Steelers' Diontae Johnson, Najee Harris Talk to George Pickens About Frustrations
PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers teammates and offensive leaders made sure to help their young, frustrated teammate. After George Pickens' showcased his distaste with his most recent performances, both Diontae Johnson and Najee Harris made sure to talk to the second-year pro.
Johnson told the media that he chose to give Pickens space during the weekend and hold off until the team returned to the facility to speak with him.
"I talked to George. I had a good talk with him," Johnson said. "He understands. I understood where he was coming from. Nobody's perfect, so you can't knock him. He's human so I didn't think too much of the situation. I know where it was from. It was frustration from the game. Him doing what he did, yes there was a better way to go about the situation, but he felt like he had to handle it his way. ... He understands. He's moving forward from it. He'll handle himself next time he gets in that situation."
For those who missed it, Pickens was caught being visibly upset during the team's Week 9 win over the Titans. He then posted a cryptic story on his Instagram that read "free me." He followed that up by deleting all of his pictures associated with the Steelers.
The wideout claimed he was simply clearing his page and denied that it had anything to do with his frustration with the team.
Moving forward, Johnson believes Pickens understands how to handle those situations, and gave his advice on how to avoid the scenario when he isn't having the game he hoped.
"Keep playing," Johnson said. "Don't think about the play that just happened. Keep playing. Quarterback going to keep throwing you the ball as long as you continue to have the right body language at all times. Because at the same time, you've got to know that people are going to be watching you. Little kids, it don't matter who it is. You're a professional, you gotta act like you're a professional. That's what I stand on. Just keep playing."
Johnson wasn't alone in his advice to Pickens. Harris also spoke to Pickens, his being at halftime of the Titans game. He then spoke with him again when the team got back from their weekend off.
"It's going to be a part of the NFL," Harris said. "... Whenever you're a key player on the offense, they're not just going to let you blow up the stat sheet. That's what I think people fail to realize is that they're not going to let you be a game-wrecker. They're going to find ways to minimize that player. When you find ways to minimize that player, it's part of a team."
Harris, like Johnson, made it known that there isn't an issue with being frustrated when opposing teams are choosing to shut you down. But moving forward, it's about how the young star reacts to that frustration, and how he can use it to stay competitive when his number is called.
"There's nothing wrong with being frustrated. It's just how you handle things when you're frustrated," Harris said. "Obviously, he's a talented guy. [Teams will] do all types of things to minimize him. I was just telling him, in the middle of the game too, you just got to keep you composure. You're going to have an opportunity when you have an opportunity to make a play."
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