Following an embarrassing performance both as a team and individually, the Pittsburgh Steelers, but George Pickens in particular were under attack after the Colts game.

Luickly both parties, Pickens and Pittsburgh bounced in a big way on a national stage against the Bengals.

But according to Pickens, it was to be expected, and something that Coach Tomlin saw coming:

Easy Work
“He [Mike Tomlin] was like how he always is, George Pickens told reporters when asked about his conversations with Coach Tomlin following last week’s antics. “He didn’t really say much to me. He just told me, you know, keep my head down and keep working. And that’s something, like I said, I pride myself on personally. So that’s pretty much what I did.”

George Pickens’ response to all the chatter this week. #Steelers #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/31Or3dBskU

— Rob Gregson (@NFL_Rob) December 23, 2023

Coach Tomlin held an off-schedule press conference this week just to address the comments and recent behavior of Pickens, assuring the media that he and the team would discipline the budding star appropriately.

And while they probably did, Coach T clearly told the interim coaches on the offensive side of the ball to feature Pickens, and that they did:

“I know I made some comments before the week that kind of, you know, ticked you [Media Members] guys off, added Pickens. “But, you know, I just wanna say, I’m just here to win. You know, make the proper adjustments and be a great player, to be honest.”

As I sit here after a big win and one of the more dominant games you will see from an NFL WR, I’m not sure what to make of Pickens and the entire situation.

Another huge TD from Mason Rudolph to George Pickens. #Steelers #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/n47I22r5fr

— Rob Gregson (@NFL_Rob) December 23, 2023

One on hand, its painstakingly obvious he has the potential to reach a ceiling that few wideouts in this league can, meaning he should be force-fed the rock at all costs.

But on another, this win and performance may merely be deodorant on the prevalent odor of “Me” in the Steelers locker room, with a big performance acting as an enabling factor in Pickens’ development and his teammates alike.

We’ll see which one weighs heavier in the penultimate game of the year in Seattle.