Former Steelers Defend George Pickens After Fines Emerge

A pair of former Pittsburgh Steelers stars came to George Pickens' defense after a report recently came out that he was fined by the Dallas Cowboys during the 2025 season.

On his "Deebo & Joe" podcast with James Harrison, Joe Haden was skeptical of the timing of the information being made public considering Pickens is set to be franchise tagged by Dallas (worth around $28 million) and is seeking a long-term deal after posting 1,429 receiving yards with nine touchdowns.

“Reports are coming out of finings,” Haden said. “And this is what I’m talking about about this. When it’s time to get paid, everybody got something to say. Everybody wants to talk trash. During the season, they were doing a really good job of probably trying to protect George, acting like everything was good, and everything was good. He was being a great teammate, he was balling out, he was snapping, we didn’t hear nothing.

“But soon as it’s contract time, they wanna act like, ‘Oh, he was late, he was missing meetings.’ All that stuff. … This is what I’m gonna tell my young dudes in the league, though: don't give them a reason not to pay you. Try to stay out the way, try to be as good as you can in the media, ‘Yes, sir. No, sir.’ Just stay out the way, because they’re trying to find a reason not to pay you.”

The report at the center of this discussion came from ESPN's Todd Archer, who wrote on Feb. 16 that, "multiple sources said Pickens was fined during the season," while also noting that, "Coach Brian Schottenheimer alluded to Pickens still being late to things," following a trade over from the Steelers last May.

Harrison Weighs In

Harrison mirrored Haden's opinion, stating that the reveal of Pickens' supposed issues in Dallas comes with auspicious timing.

“When he got there, it was like, ‘Yo, all that stuff y’all talking about, that’s not true. We’re not having those issues,'” Harrison said. “Now it comes time, he goes out there, blow up, put down numbers that’s better than your receiver that you just paid a (lot) of money to, now, all of a sudden, ‘You know what? There was some issues.'”

Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) looks on in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Pickens' Issues in Pittsburgh

Pickens' reported behavioral concerns were a common subject during his three seasons with the Steelers after they selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

He notably got into a fight with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II at the end of a Week 12 loss for Pittsburgh in 2024 before also reportedly showing up late to the team's Christmas Day bout with the Kansas City Chiefs that same season, among other incidents.

Additionally, Pickens racked up just over $90,000 in fines throughout the 2024 campaign. Though he often flashed his star potential with the Steelers, he never put all the pieces together quite like he did in Dallas, and Pittsburgh's annual offensive struggles played a large role in his production being suppressed.

It also became clear that Pickens was in need of a change of scenery last offseason, particularly after the Steelers acquired DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and handed him a four-year extension worth $132 million.

Pickens was then sent to the Dallas Cowboys for a package headlined by a 2026 third-round pick, and after his monster season, he's in line for a massive payday.

Whether or not he'll get it from Dallas, though, remains to be seen, and another trade appears at least within the realm of possibility a year after the Steelers parted ways with Pickens.

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