For the first time this season, George Pickens failed to suit up due to a last-minute hamstring issue. There was a lot of talk this offseason about how big of an issue that would be. This team opted to make Pickens the sole face of the receiver room this year, as there wasn’t an established receiver next to him. Even the trade for Mike Williams lacked the oomph of a legitimate receiver number two for this offense.
Thankfully, Pickens has stayed healthy this year, so this has been a non-factor. Considering he was close to suiting up this week, it seems more than likely we see Pickens playing again next week. That said, the skeptics who were nervous to see a game without him were proven right this week against the Browns.
After a historic offensive performance, Pittsburgh came out flat this week, specifically in the passing game. Russell Wilson only logged 158 passing yards, and only 88 of that went to receivers. The team didn’t have a receiver go over 40 yards, and the defacto top name (at least statistically) in Calvin Austin logged four total receiving yards. All of this against an average pass defense from Cleveland.
What this showed is just how vital Pickens is to this offense. He alone is averaging nearly 71 yards per game, and he does all of that while constantly taking most of the attention from opposing secondaries. For a team hoping to make a significant playoff run this year, they will need Pickens to stay healthy.
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More importantly, long-term, it points to the Pickens issue that the Steelers have on their hands. There is no questioning his talent, and the team was smart to make him their top guy this offseason. He has shown up in a major way this year. The issue has been and continues to be his immaturity issues.
From on-the-field fights and penalties to poor responses from the media, Pickens looks like a major risk to extend this season. Considering he enters the final year of his rookie contract, he will rightfully want a payday, but the Steelers have to tread with caution right now.
That’s easier said than done though, as the team has backed themselves into a corner. Next year, besides Pickens, the Steelers only have Austin and Roman Wilson under contract. As I have said in previous posts, the only way Pickens is playing for you is if he has a new deal. That means you either take a huge risk and ink Pickens to a massive deal, or you need to get aggressive to rebuild this room.
Unfortunately, free agency is a mixed bag. There should be a few good veteran names, but at their age, there is no guarantee that they maintain their high level of play. Tee Higgins is the top prize, but he will likely see a bidding war for his services. Unless the team really breaks tradition, I can’t see them giving him a competitive deal. The draft class looks decent, but banking on just that is risky.
We saw just how bad this passing offense was without Pickens, and that just makes the issues at hand that much worse. Giving Pickens a new deal seems risky, but if they don’t, they could see a lot more games like the one they saw against the Browns. The team needs to make a plan and soon as to what they do.