George Pickens appears to be struggling with his frustrations as of late. Following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ recent 20-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans, the second-year receiver expressed his dissatisfaction by posting “Free me” on his Instagram page, where he also removed references to the Steelers.
Pickens’ social media activity came after a poor showing on “Thursday Night Football,” in which he only caught two catches for a pitiful one-yard. He has only three receptions in the last two games as a result of his problems. Even with this recent downturn, Pickens is still on pace to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for the season, which helped the Steelers finish 5-3 after defeating Tennessee.
Pickens seems unsatisfied with his recent output despite enjoying three 100-yard performances this season, most notably against the Ravens and Rams. Pickens has already garnered media attention for less-than-ideal reasons, having made headlines last season when he yelled, “Throw me the f—ing ball,” during a game against the Atlanta Falcons. He has also come under fire this season because of a number of expensive penalties.
Notably, Pickens’ social media post was made in conjunction with the NFL trade deadline. However, even if the deadline hadn’t passed, it seems doubtful that the young and gifted player—who has regularly produced big plays since being selected by Pittsburgh in 2022—would be dealt by the Steelers.
At his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is expected to discuss Pickens’ recent social media activities. Fans and the media will probably keep making assumptions about Pickens’ future with the Steelers in the interim.
