Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was a major topic of conversation at head coach Mike Tomlin's press conference on Wednesday.
Pickens told reporters Tuesday that he didn't block a run by Jaylen Warren last Saturday because he didn't want to get hurt, and said he believed the media highlighted him during a frustrating season for the entire team. On Wednesday, Tomlin said he would like Pickens to be “more professional about addressing his shortcomings with you guys” because “he's not helping himself” with comments similar to the ones he made this week .
“When you're winning and doing your job, most of the attention is on things like that,” Tomlin said. “If you don't do your job and lose it, you'd better keep your mouth shut and realize that that will also attract a certain kind of attention. And usually that’s vulture-like attention.”
Tomlin said he and Pickens meet regularly and called the second-year wideout “very much a work in progress” who is “growing in a lot of ways in terms of football and life.” He said the team is committed to Pickens' development as both a person and a football player.
“He has talents, we want to use them,” said Tomlin. “He is strong in growth and development but it would be the same if we won games or if he said appropriate things to you yesterday. You may have walked away, but that wouldn't have made the process he's going through any more comfortable. It is an ongoing and ongoing process and will continue to require our attention.”
Tomlin said he would not “talk to you guys about what action might be taken regarding Pickens' actions” and confirmed that Pickens will be in the lineup this Saturday against the Bengals in what the Steelers hope will be a More positive day will be on the field.