Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver George Pickens feels like he’s wide open on every route. Mitch Trubisky just isn’t finding him.
Pickens was selected in the second round out of Georgia, and was expected to make an immediate impact on the field and in a crowded wide receiver room.
That hasn’t happened, despite a successful preseason in which he formed some camaraderie with Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett. The offense just isn’t flowing for the Pittsburgh Steelers right now, and something needs to change. Perhaps Pickens could be that spark.
“I just say that because I’m a big guy that runs in the low 4.4s,” Pickens said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I always have a step on somebody and my step is naturally longer than the other person, and I’m actually fast. I’m always (going to) have a step and always feel like, 99 percent of the time, I’m open even though the ball gets there in the air and (the defender) gets time to catch back up. … But I’m open as soon as I get off the line.”
Steelers need to incorporate George Pickens more
In the end, it’s up to Pickens to ensure his targets, and make the most of them. But if he says he’s open — and the film shows just that — then it’s up to the offensive coaching staff to put him in a position to make plays.
The onus falls on the Steelers here, and I say that because he’s far from the only skill position player showing some frustration with the offense. Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool have both said opportunities have been there for big plays. Yet, Pittsburgh isn’t taking those chances, just as they didn’t last year with Ben Roethlisberger on his last legs.
So, is this a player problem, or a system issue? For now, it seems Matt Canada has some questions to answer.
