Rumor: Steelers Purposely Removing George Pickens From Game Plan
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers unleashed George Pickens for the first time in his career in Week 2, as the second-round pick finished with four receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.
The game was the first of his career with at least ten targets, but also the first he's played as the team's top receiver without Diontae Johnson on the field.
Most stopped the conversation there, connecting not having Johnson as the reason Pickens was the primary target in the passing game. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk sees it differently, though. During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Florio sparked the theory that the Steelers are purposely keeping Pickens back from huge games to avoid a mega contract in the future.
"Why aren’t they even looking his way? They aren’t even looking his way in the progression. He should be the centerpiece to the offense. He should be the guy that they are constantly looking to get the ball to creative ways, handoffs, bubble screens, short passes, long passes. This guy is one of the most dangerous players in all football. And they won’t make him the centerpiece of the offense," Florio said. "And I don’t get it. It’s either that they don’t realize what they have or the theory that I articulated on PFT Live: They kind of don’t want to create a contractual monster with George Pickens because they would if they use him to his full extent.
"If he would have the kind of performances that he’s capable of, at some point you gotta pay him 30 million a year. So if you never fully embrace what he can do and he never becomes that superstar that he could be, you never have to give him a contract that is among the best receivers in the game."
Pickens is only in his second season with the Steelers, meaning he could negotiate a contract after next year. At the rate of the current NFL receiver market, he might be looking at a 20-plus million dollar deal, and if he's the next best thing, possibly more.
The Steelers holding him back to assure they don't have to worry about that, though, might be a little much. With the offensive struggles and taking every step imaginable to keep Kenny Pickett's development upward, slowing the usage of a superstar receiver doesn't seem to fit the bill.
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