Mike Tomlin has a long history dealing with controversial wide receivers as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace, Plaxico Burress, Martavis Bryant and now, George Pickens.
All those players were remarkable, but, their behavior on and off the field was frequently detrimental to the success of the team. As a consequence, most of them had short careers in Pittsburgh.
Now, as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, Pickens has been targeted by cornerbacks and, due to his outspoken celebrations, constantly punished by referees.
What is going on with George Pickens and Steelers?
During a press conference before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Mike Tomlin was reminded by a reporter about his recent comments in which he said George Pickens needed to grow up.
Then, when the reporter asked him if at some point Tomlin would change his approach to work on Pickens minimizing the penalties, the head coach was visibly upset when giving this answer.
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“I’m not going to give you any detail about what goes on behind the scenes in terms of his growth and development. You know that’s my style and I’m going to be really consistent in it. Being transparent with you guys doesn’t necessarily help or accelerate the growth process. And that’s my agenda. Not necessarily feeding the beast.”
The reporter followed up by asking if Mike Tomlin was concerned about these penalties being costly for the team. The head coach interrupted her and sent a clear message. “If it is or isn’t, I wouldn’t necessarily tell you to be quite honest with you.”
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