One of the hot topics from the first practice of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp on Thursday was the heated exchange between wide receiver George Pickens and new wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni.
According to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittburgh Post-Gazette, Pickens and Azzanni got into it after the assistant coach let Pickens know he wasn't happy with how he "executed his assignment" on one rep, which the receiver didn't take kindly to.
Fittipaldo added that Azzanni's approach is different from Pittsburgh's previous wide receivers coach, Frisman Jackson, who coached Pickens during his first two campaigns in the NFL.
However, when Pickens addressed his heated exchange with Azzanni after practice on Saturday, the 2022 second-round pick said the approach is nothing new for him.
“I welcome him,” Pickens said of Azzanni on Saturday, according to Joe Rutter of TribLive.com. “I had a coach like that in college, so it’s not a huge change for me."
“That’s Coach Z’s personality," Pickens added. “He’s a great guy. High energy, for sure.”
Players and coaches displaying frustration on the practice field or in games is going to happen. After all, they're human.
But the important thing is not letting those situations fester and become bigger issues. At least on the surface, Pickens isn't allowing that to happen.
