Steelers Wide Receiver Sparks Controversy With Ending Of Chiefs Game

Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver George Pickens sparked controversy in his return from injury.

The Steelers fell to 10-6 with their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs 29-10, their third loss in a row. The Christmas day game saw the return of Pickens, who had missed three weeks due to a hamstring injury. Pickens caught three passes for 50 yards on seven targets against the Chiefs.

The 23-year-old drew attention after the game when he disrupted a postgame interview to congratulate Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes this could be Pickens positioning himself for a future exit with the Steelers.

“I feel like Pickens has been at that point of, ‘I’ve had enough here’ for a while now,” Florio said. “It flashes from time to time. He has visions of what he could do in an offense with a higher end passing game, an offense that throws the ball more than the Steelers do … Think of all the guys who have been problematic at the receiver position that Mike Tomlin has kept under wraps until either the very end or after they’re gone. With Pickens, it’s been fairly consistent the past couple of seasons. But he’s so good that you keep finding a way to try to get the most out of him.”

“In that moment yesterday, that made me think that this offseason after he has three seasons in, he’s eligible for a second contract. What are they gonna do at quarterback next year? There’s just a ton of factors that come into that. But I’m starting to think that … Maybe it’s reaching the end of the road for the Steelers and George Pickens.”

Pickens is the Steelers’ top receiver and will enter the last year of his rookie contract next season, becoming a free agent in 2026. Despite some of the negative attention he’s garnered, it would be surprising if the Steelers did not try to retain him for as long as possible.

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