It is no secret that the Steelers offensive ceiling is directly tied to George Pickens ability to make big plays.  He tied for 5th in the league in air yards share at 44.9%, combining that with 515 yards receiving on 15 receptions on passes that travel 20+ air yards. Those are all positives for the offense, now lets talk about the elephant in the room.

George Pickens has not provided that to the offense in recent memory, outside of 1 reception for 41 yards against the Chiefs in week 17.  He missed games against the Browns, Eagles, and Ravens where his absence was felt.  You could argue that he derailed the offense in their Week 18 loss to the Bengals, recording 0 yards on 1 catch with 3 drops.  For the Steelers to have any chance in this game, Pickens will have to shake off the tepid performance of week 18 and deliver on the promise of what makes him one of the most polarizing singular talents in the entire league.

A dud performance today leads to a murky future and what is unquestionably a top talent in the league’s future becomes very uncertain.  He would be heading into a contract year with two other marquee names from his draft class, Drake London and Garrett Wilson achieving career highs in catches and likely earning a 2nd contracts. While Pickens will likely have to prove he can be a reliable talent that can be a franchise’s flagship wide receiver.

Justin Currie

@Chev90 on X