Things are not going great for the Pittsburgh Steelers and top wide receiver, George Pickens, who is coming off a quiet Week 5 contest against the Dallas Cowboys that the Steelers ultimately lost.
Not only did Pickens have just three catches for 26 yards, he also saw a career-low number of snaps (34) and played less than both Calvin Austin (44) and Van Jefferson (47), both of whom also ran more routes during the game.
It would have been great to hear from Pickens about what went down on Sunday, but the former second-round pick declined to speak to the media following the game.
And his avoiding the media continued on Monday. Joe Rutter of TribLive.com noted that the Georgia product hid in the equipment room to avoid speaking to the media.
"As noticeable as his absence is from the offense and limited snap count is George Pickens’ presence in locker room," Rutter wrote. "After declining to speak Sunday, he hid in equipment room for majority of 45-min media window today. Cat and mouse games continue for 14. “Always open” [except] for us."
ESPN's Brooke Pryor adds, "Per NFL media policy, players must be available for interviews postgame in addition to during the week."
The "Always open" reference from Rutter has to do with Pickens writing "Open [expletive] Always" on his eye black on Sunday night.
When asked about why Pickens only played 37 snaps, head coach Mike Tomlin had a bizarre explanation, saying it was about "snap management" with the hope that the approach would lead to more production for the young receiver.
However, Pickens was coming off a game in which he played a season-high 60 snaps in Week 4 and had his best showing of the year. Making the approach more baffling is the fact that the Steelers have few reliable options in terms of pass-catchers and an offense that is struggling to score points.
Whatever the case may be, Pickens has to learn to face the music when things are not going good. It's part of being a professional athlete and what Pickens is doing now shows immaturity.
