PITTSBURGH (AP) — George Pickens, the wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, seems unconcerned about a rematch with Greg Newsome II, the defensive back for Cleveland.
Pickens went all Mean Girls and pretended not to know when asked if he expected to speak with Newsome, who called Pickens a fake tough guy in the aftermath before kickoff when the teams play again on Sunday in Pittsburgh, two weeks after he and Newsome crashed into the snow-covered stands to end Cleveland’s 24-19 upset of the Steelers.
I have no idea who that is. “Flatly,” Pickens said.
In case Pickens needs a reminder, during Pittsburgh’s disastrous Hail Mary attempt on the final play at frigid Huntington Bank Stadium, he and Newsome wrestled all the way down the field, into the end zone, and beyond.
Pickens grabbed Newsome’s helmet as they collided with a retaining wall, but the ball dropped harmlessly to the ground and Newsome and Pickens continued on. Eventually, the two parted ways, and as Newsome left, Pickens was shown on camera requiring restraint.
Newsome rejected the notion that Pickens’ remark was disrespectful, claiming he had no idea what caused the argument.
No, since, according to Newsome, you would only consider something spoken by someone offensive if you truly cared about them. Therefore, I don’t give a damn about what he or anyone else has to say. I don’t care about the guy at all, thus I don’t consider it insulting.
Newsome, who posted a screenshot of Pickens replying to an Instagram story he produced in 2019, also mentioned that Pickens is a self-centered individual, as evidenced by the penalties he inflicts.
Pickens, 23, is a gifted athlete, and his outbursts of frustration and/or immaturity have grown commonplace. During his three seasons in the league, he has already been fined numerous times this fall for a variety of infractions, including wearing a facemask against Dallas safety Jourdan Lewis following a Cowboys victory in October. He has also become a lightning rod for attention.
Following his receptions against Cincinnati last weekend, Pickens was called twice for unsportsmanlike behavior. The penalties cost the Steelers precious field position and did little to stop Pickens’ rising image as a guy that opponents can rattle.
Although Pickens denied that defenders could influence his thoughts, he denied any wrongdoing when asked why he keeps getting fines and penalties and why he keeps getting confused in the last two months alone. Pickens has tangled with Newsome, Lewis, and Washington’s Mike Sainristil.
According to Pickens, that results from playing hard. The league has you as a target when you’re playing hard. While I can’t guarantee it, it’s possible that you might receive flags.
Pickens went on to say that he hopes the officials aren’t picking on him.
Pickens, who leads the first-place Steelers (9-3) with 55 receptions for 850 yards and three touchdowns, stated, “I’m just out there playing like every other receiver.”
Not precisely.
Everyone has defended Pickens at different points this season, including offensive tackle Broderick Jones, who was Pickens’ teammate at Georgia, quarterback Russell Wilson, and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, though Tomlin might be losing patience. After the penalties in Cincinnati, Tomlin stated that Pickens needs to mature quickly.
Following both plays, Jones went up to Pickens and attempted to assist him in pressing the reset button.
Jones stated, “Everyone knows he’s a great football player.” We simply don’t need anything to slow us down because we’re attempting to do something bigger and better with our offense and with our tactics. It’s incomprehensible that after making a solid play, you immediately give them the yardage back.
While Jones pointed out that there is a big contrast between how Pickens’ outbursts were handled when he was a Bulldog and today, it wasn’t unusual for him to have similar outbursts at Georgia.
Jones stated, “You were punished back then, but now they just take your money.” George doesn’t seem to play the game for the money, in my opinion. He adores the game. He wants his swagger to be seen by everyone.
Even as the spotlight that seems to follow Pickens everywhere gets brighter, he appears to be leaning into the swagger. On Friday, he spent three minutes disparaging Newsome and the Browns as a whole.
Pickens called the Browns a terrible team after they lost to Cleveland, blaming the snowy weather more than anything else. That’s how he still feels.
Pickens stated, “I just look at their record,” referring to Cleveland’s 3-9 record with five games remaining.
When Pickens’ remarks were relayed, Jones chuckled.
Jones declared, “He’s just a troll, and he’s trolling.” Just keep making plays, I tell him. Just try to cut out the dumb stuff and keep doing what you’re doing.
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This report was written by Tom Withers, an AP Sports Writer.
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