George Pickens has received plenty of criticism for his lackluster blocking effort in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 30-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.
That includes from inside the Steelers’ locker room.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Pittsburgh running back Jaylen Warren weighed in on the controversy, in which the second-year wide receiver failed to provide much effort blocking as Warren attempted to reach the end zone. While Pickens said that he was trying to avoid being put in a position where he was susceptible to suffering an injury, Warren said that the outcome of the play might have been different had the roles been reversed.
“I see where he’s coming from,” Warren said, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It is what it is. At the end of the day, he was doing what he thought was best for him.”
The second-year running back later added: “Some people play the game differently… If I was in that position I would have blocked for him. But we play differently.”
This isn’t the first time this season that a Steelers wide receiver has been criticized for his effort — or lack thereof — as Diontae Johnson received blowback for failing to go after a fumble in the first quarter of Pittsburgh’s Week 12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that despite his error, Pickens will still play when his team faces the Bengals in a must-win rematch on Saturday.
“Because he’s got talents,” Tomlin answered when asked why Pickens will play. “We want to utilize them. He’s very much in growth and development. But it would be the very same if we were winning games or he said appropriate things with you guys. That would have made you guys go away, but that wouldn’t have made me any more comfortable about this process that he’s going through.”
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.