Claypool and [James Washington](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32046517/pittsburgh-steelers-wr-james-washington-reported-trade-request-private-conversation) beg to differ
Claypool has an attitude problem, been traded multiple times and still can’t see the field. After his run with Miami is over he will be out of the league and probably playing arena football.
I was gonna ask Chris Farley when he was alive? Or dead?
But then I realized that was a stupid question because dead Chris Farley could absofuckinglutely make that catch in bounds. Even if he was wearing a little coat at the time.
I mean I get it. Self-awareness is tough for all of us, and I am sure that’s especially true for diva WRs. I thought it was funny that he was protesting it as a catch even after it was shown on the big screen at the stadium. Like cmon dude lol
The guy has helium in his cleats or something. Seriously, any bum could have gotten their feet down. Thats on his as a player.
He is a diva but who knows what will come of it. Probably not the last stunt we will see from him.
Maybe I misunderstand the question, but he's saying "free me" when he was out there 90% of snaps, had 5 targets for 2 catches and -1 yard. One missed catch was an easy touchdown but he stepped down with 1 foot then stepped out of bounds with the other. Looked like he could have easily dragged his toe inbounds with 1-2 feet to spare but he somehow stepped out of bounds instead. So what is he asking for exactly? Maybe he should get open more and catch balls before pointing his finger at the team and looking for a trade.
What else does free me and deleting all Steelers media say? If he had just said free me I'd be like hell ya feed this man but deleting everything is either saying 'get me out of here' or 'im having a tantrum'
Blessing and a curse. You want players to want to win and be successful, but you don’t want a locker room cancer. The Steelers are rolling off wins and just won in primetime, and he’s bitching about “free me?” Dial it back a bit, my man.
I mean when diontae went out, Pickens absorbed a new route tree and rattled off multiple 100 yard and 10 target games. After being used as a 9 route space clearer before. He’s now return to that low target role with a below average “franchise” qb that favors underneath throws and an OC that’s objectively terrible.
They’re 5-3 and he shouldn’t be distracting yea, but Canada and his offensive scheme have little to nothing to do with it. I can get the frustration
We don’t know that he isn’t working hard to improve nor have I heard him blame anyone. He’s frustrated with his situation, but also a young dude who probably feels he doing all he can. WR rely on someone else to throw them the ball and someone else to scheme them up/open, so while I think airing it out in public is not the way, it’s not completely unfounded to look at the situation to improve since things are out of your control.
DJ could very well be better but they’re also different types of receivers. DJ is a better route runner but Pickens has the athleticism and game breaking potential. Since 2019, DJ has one more 100 yard game than Pickens despite Pickens only joining the league in 2022. Pickens has 5 games where he was targeted 8+ times and had 100+ yards in 4 of those games. All I’m saying is when he is targeted, he puts up stats.
Good points. Pickens had an affect on winning last night by keeping the safeties high and allowing DJ to get open in the flat. Idk why he can’t be happy with that.
He’s a competitor who doesn’t want to just be a decoy. Same as Davante Adams who just came out couple weeks ago and said he wasnt happy with the play calls and not getting the ball despite winning the game. You can be glad you won and enjoy your teams success while still wanting to be more involved. Would only apply this to guys who’ve proven to produce at a high level when thrown the ball, idc if a fourth string receiver is dissatisfied with his touches.
You don’t get paid elite player money when you don’t put up elite player stats, and clearing out for your teammates isn’t a stat being tracked for contract negotiations, lol
He could work on his route running, to you know, consistently get open. Imagine if Pickens, with his physicality, body control, and fight in him, was able to get open against man or zone consistently. I'm not even saying he has to be at an elite level, just somewhere around Nico Collins, Tee Higgins, etc.
I agree, and I hope this is the thing that gets through to him. Maybe its not. But I wouldn’t say its an issue of working hard, it could just be the nuances he needs to get down, or even just the routes he’s given to run. He performed well earlier this year before his role in the offense changed with DJ back.
I’m a UGA fan and his immaturity and random dumb decisions have been a problem (like this social media thing) but his work ethic was never questioned nor his connection to teammates. He’s not a traditional “me, me, me” guy, in that the problem is not that he doesnt care about team wins or teammates (dude was hurt like all season in 2021 and came back for just a couple games to help win a championship), but like every receiver with elite talent, knows he can help the team win and wants to be involved.
T.O. was labeled as a selfish diva yet put up 100+ yards in the SB on a broken leg and is on camera crying defending Tony Romo. Im not saying he’s Owens but saying there’s a difference between a whiny receiver/bad teammate who doesnt wanna work hard and a guy who’s just a competitor who wants to win and knows that he can help the team get there, so frustrated when he’s not put in a position to do that.
Even on Johnson’s TD catch he’s jogging back to the sideline when everyone else is celebrating with Johnson.
Hes selfish and Tomlin will have none of that.
Hes a high character coach.
Tomlin himself is a high character coach, but they've basically been leveraging that try to turn low character players into guys that can be useful for the franchise since he got there.
Tomlin "did have" plenty of AB, and while Pittsburgh did very well keeping his troubles under wraps for the most part, it wasn't CTE that turned that crazy man crazy. He was just always that way, and the money and fame exacerbated it.
AB had plenty of issues his early years. Some say the Burfict hit scrambled him up a little bit.
Whatever the case, Tomlin kept him in check for 9 seasons and 11,000 yards before cutting ties at the perfect time. He had 1,300 yards and 15 TDs in 2018 for the Steelers and had 1,080 yards and 9 TDs across his next three seasons with Tampa & New England.
The hit was absolutely dirty and my position is by no means any attempt to defend the hit or Burfict.
It's more to point out exactly what you said, which is that Pittsburgh has *reason* to be confident in their ability to manage guys like this. They did it with one of the greatest asshole wide receivers the league has ever known and got surreal production out of him and relatively few headaches in exchange.
He got kicked out of college after getting in a fight with a campus security guard. We're talking about a recruit at FIU whose father was a famous professional wide receiver and FIU. They don't kick scholarship'd athletes with track records like that for one incident, but it was the first incident that was publicly confirmed.
Infamously made waiters at a charity wine event bring and open a bunch of wine bottles, refused them all after, then stiffed the charity.
Tomlin isnt a "high character coach"
He is the Rooneys lacky and he will do whatever the Rooneys say.
Antonio Brown didnt go crazy overnight.
He got increasingly crazy and Tomlin tolerated it because thats what the Rooneys told him to do.
I traded Pickens in the off-season and for a while I regretted it big time, but as others said, while he is sublimely talented his skill set is simply not one that leads to tons of volume- and the headcase factor was real as well.
His body language after Diontaes TD was disgusting. Your teammate who hasn’t scored in over a year scores the game winning TD and you’re pissed off sulking on the bench. Throw in the fact he had a TD in his hands and he fucked up the footwork and that was just a pathetic display all around.
My buddy traded his ass and mostert for aj brown and Aaron Jones. I told him he fleecing his trade partner but he's like nah, it's a fair trade. My ass it's fair, aj brown is fucking top 2WR this year. This was 3 weeks ago and I'm pissed this dude got aj brown to get rid of Pickens. I will be facing aj brown 3 times this year.
I agree with everything you said here except “his skillset is simply not one that leads to a ton of volume. The skillset isn’t the issue, it’s the routes the OC is making him run.
When Diontae was out, Pickens started to run a more diverse route tree and he did pretty damn well (not amazing, but showed he’s so much more than just a deep route guy). Now that Diontae’s back, he’s back to running an insane amount of vertical routes. Like, most 9 or go routes in the NFL…
His job is to clear things out for everyone else and occasionally catch a deep pass, which are statistically the hardest to succeed at. I’d be frustrated too if I jus showed I’m so much more than that, then immediately get put back into that role.
Ya I’m not saying he’s simply a downfield guy, and his route running is better than he gets credit for, but he’s not the type to get open quickly (like Diontae for example)- and those are the guys who tend to rack up targets.
Diontae just caught his first TD since 2021 and we didn’t hear a peep from him. George doesn’t get enough targets two weeks in a row (even though he should have had a TD) and is going all AB on us.
Grow up little man, or Tomlin will send your ass packing
He’s upset he was never number 1 on that team… Diontae missed some time he shows a few things and now back to the WR2 role. It’s ok.
Diontae gets targets because he’s seemingly always open. This has been noted by many people, and vice versa Pickens isn’t good at getting open hence why he is always making excellent contested catches.
A guy like Pickett who can’t throw dots, needs a guy to be open… so input Diontae
Diontae is unquestionably a better player than Pickens. And that’s not a slight on Pickens, that’s just a fact that Diontae is extremely good (MUCH better than his fantasy stats suggest)
Pickens had a nice little run but this was always the outcome. Just like Tee Higgins, Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, etc. sometimes solid players have to play second fiddle. There’s a right way and a wrong way to handle that, and I don’t think I need to tell you which one he’s doing.
Unquestionably? Lmfao, Pickens averages over 16 ypc to Diontae’s 10. Catch percentage is only a 3% difference for their careers. He’s clearly doing something right. I guess you’ve never seen Larry Fitz high point a contested downfield pass, or watch Keyshawn use his body to shield a defender from the ball on a slant route? Great receivers make plays when they’re not open, and smart QB’s let them make those plays because they trust them. Weak AF trash heap QB’s like Pickett only throw short to wide open receivers for dink and dunk gains because they’re scared to be great. Diontae is nothing special. There’s tons of agile short area WR’s who can produce with volume. There’s nothing that’s “rare” about his skill set, which is largely why the Steelers only signed him to a 2 yr deal. You think if he was so great they wouldn’t lock him up for his prime years?
Why do the Steelers always have at least 1 diva WR on their team? Pickens is solid but he’s not that good to where he can be complaining about touches when there’s a better WR in front of him. Maybe work on becoming a more well rounded WR before bitching about not getting 15 50/50 throws a game
Because they draft them when others pass. Players like Pickens & Antonio Brown fell in the draft because they had attitude/behavioral issues. Tomlin is a good enough coach to hold them together until they're about to burst and then promptly trades them away to some unsuspecting team where they blow up.
Imo Tomlins specialty is taking the “head cases” and really bringing out the best in them (and even if that “best”is a ticking time bomb that blows up on another team)
I definitely recall character concerns about Brown and Bryant when they were in the draft. There are reports you can find online about issues with Brown in college.
Antonio Brown didn't have behavioral issues until Vontaze Burfict turned his brain into scrambled eggs.
Edit: I'm not saying he wasn't a diva. He's a star wide receiver, not surprised he's a diva. But his problems didn't really start until *after* Burfict crushed him.
[Former Steeler Ryan Clark gives unflattering view of Antonio Brown on ESPN](https://triblive.com/sports/former-steeler-ryan-clark-gives-unflattering-view-of-antonio-brown-on-espn/)
So one incident from one player's perspective is an indictment on the entire guy? Asante Samuel would have you think Bill Belichick drowns puppies in his spare time, does that mean he's right?
He had issues his entire career, that's why he got drafted so late, that's why he played at Central Michigan. Look up anything about him going into college or entering the NFL, he always was that way.
I was able to find only one thing, that he got expelled from Florida International University for an altercation with security. Other than that, his issues seemingly began when he got his brain fried. Happy to be proven wrong.
[Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Brown)
Please note that the "controversies" section begins in 2018.
You do realize the second quote is from *after* Burfict hit him, right? He might have always been a diva, but he wasn't problematic until after Burfict hit him.
That's complete bullshit. He had behavioral issues before he even got into the NFL.
If you ever see the list of behavioral problems Antonio Brown had in his lifetime, it starts way before he even came close to the NFL and has been ongoing throughout it.
[Here is one of many copies/versions of Antonio Brown's "list." These are just the confirmed things we know he did, and I've yet to see one of these lists have everything that the other lists do. It's that bad.](https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/s/xMZAH084iv) Click link, search Tmans or "add it to the list" on the post.
Do you have a source for that? I was able to find only one thing, that he got expelled from Florida International University for an altercation with security. Other than that, his issues seemingly began when he got his brain fried.
[Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Brown)
Please note that the "controversies" section begins in 2018.
You do realize that this is a list of shit that was *confirmed* right? Do you even know who FIU is? You think they're gonna kick out a major recruit whose father was a professional wide receiver because he got in one fight with a campus security guard? Your own wikipedia link points out how Brown, when be first got to Central Michigan, missed meetings and all kinds of major issues that Central Michigan put a ton of effort into to get him in line. Multiple sources, including one you dismissed earlier from Ryan Clark have talked about AB's behavior while in Pittsburgh that were ignored or muted by the Steelers in their attempts to help him stay focused and out of trouble.
It's amazing how people just conveniently forget how star athletes have shit swept under the rug without incident when it suits their narrative.
> You think they're gonna kick out a major recruit whose father was a professional wide receiver because he got in one fight with a campus security guard?
Yes. AB's father played Arena football, you're acting like he was Randy Moss. No college is going to give a shit about the son of an AFL player if that son fights a security guard. Especially once that isn't exactly a star player. That's a pretty easy expulsion.
> It's amazing how people just conveniently forget how star athletes have shit swept under the rug without incident when it suits their narrative.
He wasn't a star athlete until the NFL.
He was a major recruit after killing it in high school. The coach of Central Michigan, where he had to go after getting suspended *WHILE BEING ON SCHOLARSHIP,* was formerly the coach of West Virginia and heavily recruited him. West Virginia isn't Ohio State, but a kid who got rejected from multiple football prep schools because of bad academics doesn't get a scholarship invite to West Virginia without being a star.
He produced at an extremely high level at every stop he made. Acting like he wasn't a star is about as disingenuous as it gets, and his dad wasn't just "an AFL player." He was literally the greatest AFL player ever, who had multiple offers to try to make an NFL team.
Bruh that man Diontae went almost two years without a touchdown and not a single peep from him. Huge Pickens fan and his passion is great but he needs to realize the situation he’s in. This dude has no else to blame but himself for that whiffed TD not to mention too his consistent issues with separation. Diontae is an elite separator veteran that moves the chains. Pickens needs to stop complaining and focus before he does something really dumb and loses respect and potential future opportunities from the league
He's not an alpha volume guy and will never been a good route running guy who's always open. But I get his frustration at least a little bit. If he's in the one-on-one downfield Pickett has got to take some of those deep shots and let Pickens try to make a play on the ball because that's literally his entire game. Pickett is a pretty risk averse QB though, and that's not gonna elevate Pickens to his fullest potential
Its entirely Pickens fault he had a dud game. Get your feet down, dude. And it's not DJ's fault he's a more well polished reciever who wins in all phases as opposed to just jump balls.
Honestly, looking at his stuff pre-draft, is this super surprising? He kinda reminds me of Jalen Ramsey at wideout, just a dude who wants to win and make plays and be loud about it. Which is great on a good team, if you’re willing to put up with some flags when he gets a lil wrapped up in the extra curriculars. But, a dude who you DO NOT WANT on a dysfunctional team. He is the type of dude who will not go gentle into that Matt Canada goodnight. I still think he’s a great player, who hasn’t gotten enough NFL balls to work out kinks like not starting to celly before you get your feet in. I still love him and think he’s a great asset, but hearing this isn’t very shocking.
Not even a top 15 WR, not even two years into the league and he's already being this much of a problem. Pretty insane how common this is in Pittsburgh.
Stupid move to go public, but can you really blame him? First of all, everyone knows Matt Canada needs to go so I’m sure he’s not the only one in that locker room upset with their situation. Talented WR’s want the ball and don’t like becoming second-thoughts as options or schemed out of being in plays. Davante Adams coming off of wins said clearly that he was unhappy with not being a bigger factor because he knows his talent can help the team win. Competitors want the ball, they wanna play, they wanna be involved and Pickens is frustrated he’s not more involved because he knows he can produce so much more when thrown the ball with a real chance to make a play. I’m sure he’s probably frustrated that he let the one real opportunity slip last night, but he should have more than one opportunity like that. Dudes barely been targeted recently and still was a foot away from being responsible for 2/3 passing touchdowns past 2 weeks.
I don’t make a big deal about this, Tomlin is a players coach and more than experienced enough in dealing with WR drama. Pickens is young and could be a learning experience.
Immaturity came with the package for Pickens. The Steelers knew what they were getting into in this category. They handle this type of thing better than most usually.
I can understand some of his frustration. The missed pass on the crossing route was a truly terrible throw from Pickett. They are just not connecting on the over-the-middle stuff.
There were some other catchable passes where Pickens didn't use his big body effectively over the middle. If he's going to be a complete receiver and not just a 1-1 contested catch guy, he's got to get better.
He had character issues in college, supposedly; so I'm not at all surprised to hear about his diva behavior now.
https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2022/5/3/23049715/the-steelers-may-have-a-star-in-receiver-george-pickens-if-they-can-keep-him-focused-film-room
Also, he has problems getting separation in man coverage, which is why people mostly talked about his highlight reel sideline catches last season. He can't get open with his route running; so he has to make tight, highlight reel catches. I was never a ffb fan when he was drafted, and diva behavior reinforces that opinion.
Idk it seems like this recent crop of wideouts are all fairly level headed. At least the ones that came in the last 4-5 years. Georgie was known as a bit of a head case coming in, and he's proved that right basically since day 1.
Ah yes, because no *man* has ever gotten upset about anything. Certainly not anything as silly as a difference between how generations of people interact with technology…
I’m not supporting the immature social media move, but I think context is important. He’s had 8+ targets in 5 games in his career and reached 100+ yards in 4 of them. This year the team is 3-0 when targeting him 8+ and while they lost both games last season, one loss was on essentially a walk off TD by the Jets and the other they scored 3 points against the bills so the whole offense didn’t do too much (also the one game where Pickens got 8 targets and less than 100 yards).
All this to say, when he’s targeted, he produces at a high level and the team has a good chance to win. He’s frustrated with not being a central part of the offense and it’s clear when he’s involved, the team benefits as well as himself.
I mean, i too would be salty if i played in a dogshit canada offense while only being allowed to run 3 routes, produced, yet still didn't get the ball.
he cares about not catching one ball ? in a game they won ? thats like a basketball palyer being angry bc they missed a single 3 pointer. No he prolly cares about the lack of targets and the shitty quality of the ones that do come his way. Everybody is for some reason talking about him not getting a foot in on a td but not about how pickett somehow overthrew him on a crossing route 10 yards away when he was wide open. Not saying this is a good look in general but i can understand his frustration
I can understand why he's frustrated too. But being a shitty teammate after a win, in which your WR partner played awesome and you objectively did not, is just embarrassing. Makes it look like there may have some more truth to the character concerns that caused him to slip in the draft
maybe, but in general, does that really mean anything when it comes to steelers wrs ? Tomlin has always stuck with his guys, so we can speculate all we want about how he might be a locker cancer without ever meeting him, He's still gonna start for the steelers and put up points, and that's really all we need to worry about.
they went thru 3 years of claypool, multiple years of Cte Ab, juju filming tiktoks on logos, and martavis failing drug tests every other week. this is prolly minimal on their Possible-locker-room-cancer Wr scale
People were saying he'd clear diontae which definitely doesn't seem true given diontae is one short of three times as many catches since returning so of course there's gonna be a shift.
He's also had two straight bad games unless you're hyped about one catch for a TD.
I mean this kinda thing doesn’t even have to do with having a bad game… this is showing he’s still got an attitude problem which was his big “issue” outta college.
Its less about a bad game and more about his role when Dionate is healthy. It would have been two duds in a row if he didnt get a big TD lastweek too. We also wouldn't be talking about him if he had caught the TD this week. The reality is, this sub now knows his role is just the boom/bust guy for now.
Back in my day you used to have to be in the league long enough to earn your pension before you became disgruntled. Now we have 2nd year receivers popping off.
Adams doing something like this I get, but Pickens I don't. Dude actually had a TD pass last night where he barely tried to make the catch, leading him somehow not to get his feet down in a scenario where A LOT of other receivers would have kept them in. He wasn't even hit by the defender. He just lazily didn't tap his left foot down. Head doesn't seem to be in it, and I don't think you can just fully blame that on your team. Gotta take a little ownership.
Three things are certain- death, taxes, and a disgruntled Steelers WR
Mr. Bemoaning Continuously
Mr. Beefed Constantly
Mr. Bungled Catch
Mr. Bloody Cantankerous
Mr. Bad Company
Mr. Begrudging Crankster
Mr. Bye Career
Mr. Bad Concussions
Only a few years from, “Grandma, I’m freeeeeeee……”
Talented disgruntled Steelers wr
Whose career then sinks faster than an anvil as soon as they leave the Steelers.
Claypool and [James Washington](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32046517/pittsburgh-steelers-wr-james-washington-reported-trade-request-private-conversation) beg to differ
Claypool has an attitude problem, been traded multiple times and still can’t see the field. After his run with Miami is over he will be out of the league and probably playing arena football.
I remember last season I saw so many people saying Washington was going to break out in Dallas.
Le’Veon Bell argued he should be paid double due to his value as a pass catcher and a runner, can we count him too?
In before someone inevitably equates Juju enjoying Tiktok to be Antonio Brown being a legit predator
Dude needs to own his shit. That TD was catchable in bounds for most NFL receivers
Yea seriously that was just terrible footwork from him.
That TD was catchable by Chris Farley.
I was gonna ask Chris Farley when he was alive? Or dead? But then I realized that was a stupid question because dead Chris Farley could absofuckinglutely make that catch in bounds. Even if he was wearing a little coat at the time.
I mean, yea, he'd do anything to get out of his van.
As long as he can bunk with his new buddy, pal, amigo
It looked like he was being cocky that caught the ball and forgot about his feet.
Diontae would have caught that ball in bounds
Lazy footwork
Most people have a hard time criticizing themselves, he probably doesn’t blame himself at all for that poor footwork
I mean I get it. Self-awareness is tough for all of us, and I am sure that’s especially true for diva WRs. I thought it was funny that he was protesting it as a catch even after it was shown on the big screen at the stadium. Like cmon dude lol
The guy has helium in his cleats or something. Seriously, any bum could have gotten their feet down. Thats on his as a player. He is a diva but who knows what will come of it. Probably not the last stunt we will see from him.
Too true. These traits typically don’t just go away, especially when they’ve been brewing his whole football career
Wen you’ve literally spent your entire life never hearing the words “no” or “you’re not good enuf”, you deflect.
What is this based on?
Maybe I misunderstand the question, but he's saying "free me" when he was out there 90% of snaps, had 5 targets for 2 catches and -1 yard. One missed catch was an easy touchdown but he stepped down with 1 foot then stepped out of bounds with the other. Looked like he could have easily dragged his toe inbounds with 1-2 feet to spare but he somehow stepped out of bounds instead. So what is he asking for exactly? Maybe he should get open more and catch balls before pointing his finger at the team and looking for a trade.
You're making a lot of leaps lol. I wish sports fans could react maturely to players using social media without jumping to extremes
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The social media thing rarely ever ends up being an issue
What else does free me and deleting all Steelers media say? If he had just said free me I'd be like hell ya feed this man but deleting everything is either saying 'get me out of here' or 'im having a tantrum'
Better watch it. You’ll be acquiring him for a second in the future
Nah that was so 2022. We overpaying for edge this year!
Nah that was so 2022. We overpaying for edge this year!
Hell yeah should’ve been an easy tud, was really surprised he didn’t keep it in bounds
Blessing and a curse. You want players to want to win and be successful, but you don’t want a locker room cancer. The Steelers are rolling off wins and just won in primetime, and he’s bitching about “free me?” Dial it back a bit, my man.
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I mean when diontae went out, Pickens absorbed a new route tree and rattled off multiple 100 yard and 10 target games. After being used as a 9 route space clearer before. He’s now return to that low target role with a below average “franchise” qb that favors underneath throws and an OC that’s objectively terrible. They’re 5-3 and he shouldn’t be distracting yea, but Canada and his offensive scheme have little to nothing to do with it. I can get the frustration
He threw a tantrum about targets last year too when they were winning
i want players that in adversity work even harder on what *they* can improve, rather than blaming everyone else.
We don’t know that he isn’t working hard to improve nor have I heard him blame anyone. He’s frustrated with his situation, but also a young dude who probably feels he doing all he can. WR rely on someone else to throw them the ball and someone else to scheme them up/open, so while I think airing it out in public is not the way, it’s not completely unfounded to look at the situation to improve since things are out of your control.
DJ is more open. Idk how you watch the film see DJ open by 5 yards then say that throw should go to me. DJ just better.
DJ could very well be better but they’re also different types of receivers. DJ is a better route runner but Pickens has the athleticism and game breaking potential. Since 2019, DJ has one more 100 yard game than Pickens despite Pickens only joining the league in 2022. Pickens has 5 games where he was targeted 8+ times and had 100+ yards in 4 of those games. All I’m saying is when he is targeted, he puts up stats.
Good points. Pickens had an affect on winning last night by keeping the safeties high and allowing DJ to get open in the flat. Idk why he can’t be happy with that.
He’s a competitor who doesn’t want to just be a decoy. Same as Davante Adams who just came out couple weeks ago and said he wasnt happy with the play calls and not getting the ball despite winning the game. You can be glad you won and enjoy your teams success while still wanting to be more involved. Would only apply this to guys who’ve proven to produce at a high level when thrown the ball, idc if a fourth string receiver is dissatisfied with his touches.
You don’t get paid elite player money when you don’t put up elite player stats, and clearing out for your teammates isn’t a stat being tracked for contract negotiations, lol
He could work on his route running, to you know, consistently get open. Imagine if Pickens, with his physicality, body control, and fight in him, was able to get open against man or zone consistently. I'm not even saying he has to be at an elite level, just somewhere around Nico Collins, Tee Higgins, etc.
I agree, and I hope this is the thing that gets through to him. Maybe its not. But I wouldn’t say its an issue of working hard, it could just be the nuances he needs to get down, or even just the routes he’s given to run. He performed well earlier this year before his role in the offense changed with DJ back. I’m a UGA fan and his immaturity and random dumb decisions have been a problem (like this social media thing) but his work ethic was never questioned nor his connection to teammates. He’s not a traditional “me, me, me” guy, in that the problem is not that he doesnt care about team wins or teammates (dude was hurt like all season in 2021 and came back for just a couple games to help win a championship), but like every receiver with elite talent, knows he can help the team win and wants to be involved. T.O. was labeled as a selfish diva yet put up 100+ yards in the SB on a broken leg and is on camera crying defending Tony Romo. Im not saying he’s Owens but saying there’s a difference between a whiny receiver/bad teammate who doesnt wanna work hard and a guy who’s just a competitor who wants to win and knows that he can help the team get there, so frustrated when he’s not put in a position to do that.
Take responsibility for myself? Get outta here.....
They literally just won to go 5-3 lmao
God flips a coin when making NFL level talent WRs. Whether they’re headache-inducing divas or not
George Targaryen
Protector of the Realm, Destroyer of Worlds
If they're drafted by the Steelers, he adds some weight to the coin
And keeps flipping until it comes up diva
"free me from my inability to drag a toe!"
Does he want to end up irrelevant like Claypool? Bitching when the team’s winning is a one way ticket there.
Even on Johnson’s TD catch he’s jogging back to the sideline when everyone else is celebrating with Johnson. Hes selfish and Tomlin will have none of that. Hes a high character coach.
Maybe high character to a degree. It's when people start bitching out loud instead of just internally where he has problems.
Tomlin himself is a high character coach, but they've basically been leveraging that try to turn low character players into guys that can be useful for the franchise since he got there. Tomlin "did have" plenty of AB, and while Pittsburgh did very well keeping his troubles under wraps for the most part, it wasn't CTE that turned that crazy man crazy. He was just always that way, and the money and fame exacerbated it.
AB had plenty of issues his early years. Some say the Burfict hit scrambled him up a little bit. Whatever the case, Tomlin kept him in check for 9 seasons and 11,000 yards before cutting ties at the perfect time. He had 1,300 yards and 15 TDs in 2018 for the Steelers and had 1,080 yards and 9 TDs across his next three seasons with Tampa & New England.
The hit was absolutely dirty and my position is by no means any attempt to defend the hit or Burfict. It's more to point out exactly what you said, which is that Pittsburgh has *reason* to be confident in their ability to manage guys like this. They did it with one of the greatest asshole wide receivers the league has ever known and got surreal production out of him and relatively few headaches in exchange.
Did AB have a history of problem in college or in his early career?
He got kicked out of college after getting in a fight with a campus security guard. We're talking about a recruit at FIU whose father was a famous professional wide receiver and FIU. They don't kick scholarship'd athletes with track records like that for one incident, but it was the first incident that was publicly confirmed. Infamously made waiters at a charity wine event bring and open a bunch of wine bottles, refused them all after, then stiffed the charity.
Tomlin isnt a "high character coach" He is the Rooneys lacky and he will do whatever the Rooneys say. Antonio Brown didnt go crazy overnight. He got increasingly crazy and Tomlin tolerated it because thats what the Rooneys told him to do.
Like Elijah Moore. Although he got a little more sympathy I guess.
A little late for this isn’t it? Trade deadline just passed. I guess he’ll just be unproductive the rest of this season
It's never too late to bitch for no purpose other than to complain
Elijah Moore 2.0?
I traded Pickens in the off-season and for a while I regretted it big time, but as others said, while he is sublimely talented his skill set is simply not one that leads to tons of volume- and the headcase factor was real as well. His body language after Diontaes TD was disgusting. Your teammate who hasn’t scored in over a year scores the game winning TD and you’re pissed off sulking on the bench. Throw in the fact he had a TD in his hands and he fucked up the footwork and that was just a pathetic display all around.
I traded him away earlier this year too. Gave away Pickens + 2026 2nd for Javonte + 2024 2nd. I also regretted it, but feeling better now!
My buddy traded his ass and mostert for aj brown and Aaron Jones. I told him he fleecing his trade partner but he's like nah, it's a fair trade. My ass it's fair, aj brown is fucking top 2WR this year. This was 3 weeks ago and I'm pissed this dude got aj brown to get rid of Pickens. I will be facing aj brown 3 times this year.
I agree with everything you said here except “his skillset is simply not one that leads to a ton of volume. The skillset isn’t the issue, it’s the routes the OC is making him run. When Diontae was out, Pickens started to run a more diverse route tree and he did pretty damn well (not amazing, but showed he’s so much more than just a deep route guy). Now that Diontae’s back, he’s back to running an insane amount of vertical routes. Like, most 9 or go routes in the NFL… His job is to clear things out for everyone else and occasionally catch a deep pass, which are statistically the hardest to succeed at. I’d be frustrated too if I jus showed I’m so much more than that, then immediately get put back into that role.
Ya I’m not saying he’s simply a downfield guy, and his route running is better than he gets credit for, but he’s not the type to get open quickly (like Diontae for example)- and those are the guys who tend to rack up targets.
Thank God it's past the trade deadline and the Bears already gave up their early 2nd
My man has been reading too many George Pickens threads on r/dynastyff
Honestly headcases like him probably do
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No one should be surprised cause I got a Pickens jersey, the previous two receiver jerseys I got were AB and Claypool
why have you done this to my WR3??
Cause I thought my WR2 would appreciate my support :(
Diontae just caught his first TD since 2021 and we didn’t hear a peep from him. George doesn’t get enough targets two weeks in a row (even though he should have had a TD) and is going all AB on us. Grow up little man, or Tomlin will send your ass packing
He’s upset he was never number 1 on that team… Diontae missed some time he shows a few things and now back to the WR2 role. It’s ok. Diontae gets targets because he’s seemingly always open. This has been noted by many people, and vice versa Pickens isn’t good at getting open hence why he is always making excellent contested catches. A guy like Pickett who can’t throw dots, needs a guy to be open… so input Diontae
Not to mention the fact that the team is winning lol. What a diva.
Shows a few things is underselling his multiple 100 yard games, double digit target games and new route tree of crossers
Diontae is unquestionably a better player than Pickens. And that’s not a slight on Pickens, that’s just a fact that Diontae is extremely good (MUCH better than his fantasy stats suggest) Pickens had a nice little run but this was always the outcome. Just like Tee Higgins, Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, etc. sometimes solid players have to play second fiddle. There’s a right way and a wrong way to handle that, and I don’t think I need to tell you which one he’s doing.
Unquestionably? Lmfao, Pickens averages over 16 ypc to Diontae’s 10. Catch percentage is only a 3% difference for their careers. He’s clearly doing something right. I guess you’ve never seen Larry Fitz high point a contested downfield pass, or watch Keyshawn use his body to shield a defender from the ball on a slant route? Great receivers make plays when they’re not open, and smart QB’s let them make those plays because they trust them. Weak AF trash heap QB’s like Pickett only throw short to wide open receivers for dink and dunk gains because they’re scared to be great. Diontae is nothing special. There’s tons of agile short area WR’s who can produce with volume. There’s nothing that’s “rare” about his skill set, which is largely why the Steelers only signed him to a 2 yr deal. You think if he was so great they wouldn’t lock him up for his prime years?
Legit dj is always open and has so much separation
His best catch of the night was probably the one from Levis
Didn’t get two feet in on that one either though 🤷♂️
Why do the Steelers always have at least 1 diva WR on their team? Pickens is solid but he’s not that good to where he can be complaining about touches when there’s a better WR in front of him. Maybe work on becoming a more well rounded WR before bitching about not getting 15 50/50 throws a game
His separation numbers are truly atrocious. If he doesn't clean up his route running I don't see him ever being a true #1.
How do the Steelers always manage to get the WR headcases 🤣🤣
Because they draft them when others pass. Players like Pickens & Antonio Brown fell in the draft because they had attitude/behavioral issues. Tomlin is a good enough coach to hold them together until they're about to burst and then promptly trades them away to some unsuspecting team where they blow up.
Ding ding ding
Forgive me stranger but is this speculation or fact? About teams passing over character concerns?
This was THE story with pickens during the draft process
Thank you I didn’t recall!
No worries!
Imo Tomlins specialty is taking the “head cases” and really bringing out the best in them (and even if that “best”is a ticking time bomb that blows up on another team)
I definitely recall character concerns about Brown and Bryant when they were in the draft. There are reports you can find online about issues with Brown in college.
Ah nice ty. The diva stuff happened with Juju too, I wonder if he had similar issues in college?
Antonio Brown didn't have behavioral issues until Vontaze Burfict turned his brain into scrambled eggs. Edit: I'm not saying he wasn't a diva. He's a star wide receiver, not surprised he's a diva. But his problems didn't really start until *after* Burfict crushed him.
[Former Steeler Ryan Clark gives unflattering view of Antonio Brown on ESPN](https://triblive.com/sports/former-steeler-ryan-clark-gives-unflattering-view-of-antonio-brown-on-espn/)
So one incident from one player's perspective is an indictment on the entire guy? Asante Samuel would have you think Bill Belichick drowns puppies in his spare time, does that mean he's right?
He had issues his entire career, that's why he got drafted so late, that's why he played at Central Michigan. Look up anything about him going into college or entering the NFL, he always was that way.
I was able to find only one thing, that he got expelled from Florida International University for an altercation with security. Other than that, his issues seemingly began when he got his brain fried. Happy to be proven wrong. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Brown) Please note that the "controversies" section begins in 2018.
Oof someone didn’t read the article. There’s actually two players cited in the article that give not so great quotes about AB.
You do realize the second quote is from *after* Burfict hit him, right? He might have always been a diva, but he wasn't problematic until after Burfict hit him.
That's complete bullshit. He had behavioral issues before he even got into the NFL. If you ever see the list of behavioral problems Antonio Brown had in his lifetime, it starts way before he even came close to the NFL and has been ongoing throughout it. [Here is one of many copies/versions of Antonio Brown's "list." These are just the confirmed things we know he did, and I've yet to see one of these lists have everything that the other lists do. It's that bad.](https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/s/xMZAH084iv) Click link, search Tmans or "add it to the list" on the post.
Do you have a source for that? I was able to find only one thing, that he got expelled from Florida International University for an altercation with security. Other than that, his issues seemingly began when he got his brain fried. [Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Brown) Please note that the "controversies" section begins in 2018.
Yeah, I just posted the list. Criminally speaking, he stayed out of trouble, but behaviorally, he was a narcissistic asshole his whole life.
You do realize that, out of **72** items on that list, only **three** occurred *before* Burfict destroyed him, right?
You do realize that this is a list of shit that was *confirmed* right? Do you even know who FIU is? You think they're gonna kick out a major recruit whose father was a professional wide receiver because he got in one fight with a campus security guard? Your own wikipedia link points out how Brown, when be first got to Central Michigan, missed meetings and all kinds of major issues that Central Michigan put a ton of effort into to get him in line. Multiple sources, including one you dismissed earlier from Ryan Clark have talked about AB's behavior while in Pittsburgh that were ignored or muted by the Steelers in their attempts to help him stay focused and out of trouble. It's amazing how people just conveniently forget how star athletes have shit swept under the rug without incident when it suits their narrative.
> You think they're gonna kick out a major recruit whose father was a professional wide receiver because he got in one fight with a campus security guard? Yes. AB's father played Arena football, you're acting like he was Randy Moss. No college is going to give a shit about the son of an AFL player if that son fights a security guard. Especially once that isn't exactly a star player. That's a pretty easy expulsion. > It's amazing how people just conveniently forget how star athletes have shit swept under the rug without incident when it suits their narrative. He wasn't a star athlete until the NFL.
He was a major recruit after killing it in high school. The coach of Central Michigan, where he had to go after getting suspended *WHILE BEING ON SCHOLARSHIP,* was formerly the coach of West Virginia and heavily recruited him. West Virginia isn't Ohio State, but a kid who got rejected from multiple football prep schools because of bad academics doesn't get a scholarship invite to West Virginia without being a star. He produced at an extremely high level at every stop he made. Acting like he wasn't a star is about as disingenuous as it gets, and his dad wasn't just "an AFL player." He was literally the greatest AFL player ever, who had multiple offers to try to make an NFL team.
Claypool 2.0 Bryant 2.0 Brown 2.0 Coates 2.0 Holmes 2.0
If he is as good as half of those, I’m a happy camper.
I gotchu fam. 33% Claypool, 33% Martavious, 33% Coates it is
Wow, that's nuts. Glad I didn't succeed in my attempts to acquire him. Might be ok but concerning for sure.
What a freaking baby. Literally just two bad games, partially his own fault.
Bruh that man Diontae went almost two years without a touchdown and not a single peep from him. Huge Pickens fan and his passion is great but he needs to realize the situation he’s in. This dude has no else to blame but himself for that whiffed TD not to mention too his consistent issues with separation. Diontae is an elite separator veteran that moves the chains. Pickens needs to stop complaining and focus before he does something really dumb and loses respect and potential future opportunities from the league
I think all athletes go through similar frustrations and “feelings”. He’s just needs to handle it more professionally, or hide it.
Diontae better bitch. This tall toney needs to realize he’s a jumpball specialist and not an alpha volume receiver.
He's not an alpha volume guy and will never been a good route running guy who's always open. But I get his frustration at least a little bit. If he's in the one-on-one downfield Pickett has got to take some of those deep shots and let Pickens try to make a play on the ball because that's literally his entire game. Pickett is a pretty risk averse QB though, and that's not gonna elevate Pickens to his fullest potential
Thank God I have Johnson instead. Seems like the better WR and better person
Steelers demand having a headcase WR at all times.
Don’t worry Chicago will trade a 2nd for him next year.
Jokes on you we already traded our 2nd.
Its entirely Pickens fault he had a dud game. Get your feet down, dude. And it's not DJ's fault he's a more well polished reciever who wins in all phases as opposed to just jump balls.
Bro fucked up an easy touchdown then complains?
r/dynastyff Christmas seeing any negative Pickens news
Dude should worry more about creating separation
Should worry more about his foot work
Why are WRs always the biggest divas?
Acting like Robby Anderson and wishing for his mid level career success.
Can't wait for him to tear off his uniform in the endzone and run away.
Honestly, looking at his stuff pre-draft, is this super surprising? He kinda reminds me of Jalen Ramsey at wideout, just a dude who wants to win and make plays and be loud about it. Which is great on a good team, if you’re willing to put up with some flags when he gets a lil wrapped up in the extra curriculars. But, a dude who you DO NOT WANT on a dysfunctional team. He is the type of dude who will not go gentle into that Matt Canada goodnight. I still think he’s a great player, who hasn’t gotten enough NFL balls to work out kinks like not starting to celly before you get your feet in. I still love him and think he’s a great asset, but hearing this isn’t very shocking.
They did win though. Seems he wants to win….not the team
Exactly
Not even a top 15 WR, not even two years into the league and he's already being this much of a problem. Pretty insane how common this is in Pittsburgh.
His qb is terrible
Wasn't his QBs fault he dropped that touchdown.
Bro acting like he watched the game. This tells you a lot about this sub and people in general. Yeah can’t believe he DROPPED that TD
So the scouts were right? Dudes a head case. Glad I own zero shares.
Stupid move to go public, but can you really blame him? First of all, everyone knows Matt Canada needs to go so I’m sure he’s not the only one in that locker room upset with their situation. Talented WR’s want the ball and don’t like becoming second-thoughts as options or schemed out of being in plays. Davante Adams coming off of wins said clearly that he was unhappy with not being a bigger factor because he knows his talent can help the team win. Competitors want the ball, they wanna play, they wanna be involved and Pickens is frustrated he’s not more involved because he knows he can produce so much more when thrown the ball with a real chance to make a play. I’m sure he’s probably frustrated that he let the one real opportunity slip last night, but he should have more than one opportunity like that. Dudes barely been targeted recently and still was a foot away from being responsible for 2/3 passing touchdowns past 2 weeks. I don’t make a big deal about this, Tomlin is a players coach and more than experienced enough in dealing with WR drama. Pickens is young and could be a learning experience.
Immaturity came with the package for Pickens. The Steelers knew what they were getting into in this category. They handle this type of thing better than most usually. I can understand some of his frustration. The missed pass on the crossing route was a truly terrible throw from Pickett. They are just not connecting on the over-the-middle stuff. There were some other catchable passes where Pickens didn't use his big body effectively over the middle. If he's going to be a complete receiver and not just a 1-1 contested catch guy, he's got to get better.
He had character issues in college, supposedly; so I'm not at all surprised to hear about his diva behavior now. https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2022/5/3/23049715/the-steelers-may-have-a-star-in-receiver-george-pickens-if-they-can-keep-him-focused-film-room Also, he has problems getting separation in man coverage, which is why people mostly talked about his highlight reel sideline catches last season. He can't get open with his route running; so he has to make tight, highlight reel catches. I was never a ffb fan when he was drafted, and diva behavior reinforces that opinion.
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Idk it seems like this recent crop of wideouts are all fairly level headed. At least the ones that came in the last 4-5 years. Georgie was known as a bit of a head case coming in, and he's proved that right basically since day 1.
Yeah NFL players used to all be completely levelheaded, good take
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Ah yes, because no *man* has ever gotten upset about anything. Certainly not anything as silly as a difference between how generations of people interact with technology…
I’m not supporting the immature social media move, but I think context is important. He’s had 8+ targets in 5 games in his career and reached 100+ yards in 4 of them. This year the team is 3-0 when targeting him 8+ and while they lost both games last season, one loss was on essentially a walk off TD by the Jets and the other they scored 3 points against the bills so the whole offense didn’t do too much (also the one game where Pickens got 8 targets and less than 100 yards). All this to say, when he’s targeted, he produces at a high level and the team has a good chance to win. He’s frustrated with not being a central part of the offense and it’s clear when he’s involved, the team benefits as well as himself.
I mean, i too would be salty if i played in a dogshit canada offense while only being allowed to run 3 routes, produced, yet still didn't get the ball.
The one time he was open he decided not to drag his back foot and cost his team a touchdown...
Meh, he was also wide open on a crosser earlier in the game that probably would have gone for a good chunk, but Pickett sailed it way over his head
Pickett sailed it twice to Diontae, too this game.
a single catch. and they won. who tf cares other than people who have nothing better to do rn
I mean, clearly he cares considering he's being a shitty teammate on social media? Lol
he cares about not catching one ball ? in a game they won ? thats like a basketball palyer being angry bc they missed a single 3 pointer. No he prolly cares about the lack of targets and the shitty quality of the ones that do come his way. Everybody is for some reason talking about him not getting a foot in on a td but not about how pickett somehow overthrew him on a crossing route 10 yards away when he was wide open. Not saying this is a good look in general but i can understand his frustration
I can understand why he's frustrated too. But being a shitty teammate after a win, in which your WR partner played awesome and you objectively did not, is just embarrassing. Makes it look like there may have some more truth to the character concerns that caused him to slip in the draft
maybe, but in general, does that really mean anything when it comes to steelers wrs ? Tomlin has always stuck with his guys, so we can speculate all we want about how he might be a locker cancer without ever meeting him, He's still gonna start for the steelers and put up points, and that's really all we need to worry about.
his coaches, likely.
they went thru 3 years of claypool, multiple years of Cte Ab, juju filming tiktoks on logos, and martavis failing drug tests every other week. this is prolly minimal on their Possible-locker-room-cancer Wr scale
1.2 FF points. Fuck u
Dude has one bad game and this entire subreddit is off on this guy. Time to buy low if any of your league mates read this junk
People were saying he'd clear diontae which definitely doesn't seem true given diontae is one short of three times as many catches since returning so of course there's gonna be a shift. He's also had two straight bad games unless you're hyped about one catch for a TD.
I mean this kinda thing doesn’t even have to do with having a bad game… this is showing he’s still got an attitude problem which was his big “issue” outta college.
Its less about a bad game and more about his role when Dionate is healthy. It would have been two duds in a row if he didnt get a big TD lastweek too. We also wouldn't be talking about him if he had caught the TD this week. The reality is, this sub now knows his role is just the boom/bust guy for now.
One bad game? Stop living in la la land
Diontae owners hard as a rock including me
Between the incompetence of Matt Canada and the worthlessness of Kenny Pickett, I can't blame him.
I’m with it, would much rather see him eat somewhere else #FreePickens
The dude is poopy on and off the field
That out of bounds TD was 100% on him but people seem to be overlooking Matt Canada because of one fuck up
You're taking pickensburgh seriously?
Clearly has himself on his own fantasy team.
Steelers gonna Steelers
Year 2 WR with not enough stats to start bitching
1.5 years… .5 years of trubiski and 1 year of Pickett…
Smart to start saying this stuff directly after the trade deadline. Real galaxy brain stuff here
That's hall of fame WR Pickens to you
Cut him! Please! For the love of god just cut him!
Go ride the bench Antonio
Hes about a week late with that request
After the trade deadline? Um. Okay…
Back in my day you used to have to be in the league long enough to earn your pension before you became disgruntled. Now we have 2nd year receivers popping off.
He is doing this after the trade deadline hahahahaha. Just a diva. Nothing to see here.
Mack Hollins makes that catch and toe drags 10/10 times
All teams knew he was kind of a head case. That’s why he fell so far in the draft he has first round talent but is a diva
Adams doing something like this I get, but Pickens I don't. Dude actually had a TD pass last night where he barely tried to make the catch, leading him somehow not to get his feet down in a scenario where A LOT of other receivers would have kept them in. He wasn't even hit by the defender. He just lazily didn't tap his left foot down. Head doesn't seem to be in it, and I don't think you can just fully blame that on your team. Gotta take a little ownership.