After Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson made a touchdown reception in last Thursday’s win over the Tennessee Titans, fellow wide receiver George Pickens was caught on camera looking frustrated and disappointed.
Pickens finished the game with just two receptions for -1 yards, this coming a week after he had just one reception for 22 yards (a touchdown reception, at least) in Pittsburgh’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Did Pickens, who had back-to-back 100+ yard receiving games before that Jacksonville game, convey his frustrations to head coach Mike Tomlin?
He did, and Tomlin couldn’t be less concerned. Speaking to the media Tuesday, Tomlin addressed Pickens’ frustrations, saying, “He expresses frustration all the time. He wants to be significant. He wants to be a reason why we’re successful. Y’all don’t begrudge that. I want guys who want the football. I want guys who want to be central reasons why we’re successful and so that’s a nonissue, to be quite honest with you.”
Continuing on, Tomlin said his focus is on the Green Bay Packers this week, noting “I know it’s a cute story for you guys, but it is a pebble in my shoe, to be quite honest with you, in terms of the things that I have to do in an effort to get this group ready to play. This week our focus is on the Green Bay Packers and what we’re all going to do in this football game, and I can’t state it any plainer than that. It’s like reality television, the way you guys follow social media and write stories about it.”
[ESPN]
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