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The Dallas Cowboys are delighted about adding an elite No. 2 receiver in George Pickens.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers are ...
Relieved.
A new report from longtime Steelers writer and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly claims that none other than head coach Mike Tomlin is who wanted the talented-but-temperamental player out of town.
"Make no mistake about it, Tomlin — who has gone out of his way in the past to defend Pickens — is the one who decided that the Pickens rehabilitation project needed to end a year early," Kaboly writes. "The ultimate decision had very little to do with general manager Omar Khan (although he signed off on it, too), and of course it was OK’d by team owner Art Rooney II."
Tomlin famously is the one who last year urged Pickens to "grow up,'' so this isn't shocking.
To Pickens' critics, what would be shocking if he gets his act together in Big D.
After an ugly two-game stretch in 2023 in which he caught only three passes for 21 yards, Pickens posted "Free me!" on his social media and scrubbed any mentions of the Steelers. He later explained the move had "nothing to do with football." Later that year he was roundly criticized for a lack of effort, specifically not blocking for running back Jaylen Warren near the goal line. Pickens claimed he was trying to avoid injury.
He's had multiple shouting altercations with fans at games. He's been fined several times for unsportsmanlike conduct, including last year's game against the Cowboys when he violently grabbed the facemask of cornerback Jourdan Lewis. And in Week 17 he arrived late for a key game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Said Tomlin about Pickens late last year, "He's just got to grow up, man. This is an emotional game. He's got a target on his back because he's George; he understands that. But he's got to grow up. He's got to grow up in a hurry."
Tomlin has had his ups and downs with big-name "bad apple'' receivers, from Martavis Bryant to Antonio Brown to Chase Claypool to Diontae Johnson to George Pickens.
Does that mean the coach was keeping them afloat all of these years and that Tomlin is the savior here? Maybe.
But in this case? Tomlin was also the guy with the ax.
Continue reading...
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers are ...
Relieved.
A new report from longtime Steelers writer and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly claims that none other than head coach Mike Tomlin is who wanted the talented-but-temperamental player out of town.
"Make no mistake about it, Tomlin — who has gone out of his way in the past to defend Pickens — is the one who decided that the Pickens rehabilitation project needed to end a year early," Kaboly writes. "The ultimate decision had very little to do with general manager Omar Khan (although he signed off on it, too), and of course it was OK’d by team owner Art Rooney II."
Tomlin famously is the one who last year urged Pickens to "grow up,'' so this isn't shocking.
To Pickens' critics, what would be shocking if he gets his act together in Big D.
After an ugly two-game stretch in 2023 in which he caught only three passes for 21 yards, Pickens posted "Free me!" on his social media and scrubbed any mentions of the Steelers. He later explained the move had "nothing to do with football." Later that year he was roundly criticized for a lack of effort, specifically not blocking for running back Jaylen Warren near the goal line. Pickens claimed he was trying to avoid injury.
He's had multiple shouting altercations with fans at games. He's been fined several times for unsportsmanlike conduct, including last year's game against the Cowboys when he violently grabbed the facemask of cornerback Jourdan Lewis. And in Week 17 he arrived late for a key game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Said Tomlin about Pickens late last year, "He's just got to grow up, man. This is an emotional game. He's got a target on his back because he's George; he understands that. But he's got to grow up. He's got to grow up in a hurry."
Tomlin has had his ups and downs with big-name "bad apple'' receivers, from Martavis Bryant to Antonio Brown to Chase Claypool to Diontae Johnson to George Pickens.
Does that mean the coach was keeping them afloat all of these years and that Tomlin is the savior here? Maybe.
But in this case? Tomlin was also the guy with the ax.
Related: Cowboys' Pickens Move Will Do Damage Predicts Excited Dez
Related: Steelers T.J. Watt Move Tied To George Pickens Trade
Related: Steelers T.J. Watt Move Tied To George Pickens Trade
Continue reading...
