George Pickens had more drops than yards gained on Saturday.
More inflammatory interactions with fans at Acrisure Stadium, too.
It was that kind of night for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 1 wide receiver, who had one reception on six targeted throws for 0 net yards in a 19-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Steelers’ regular-season finale.
Pickens finished a game with 3 or fewer receiving yards for the sixth time in 48 career pro outings. He had one or fewer receptions for the seventh time.
Pickens hurried out of the Steelers’ locker room late Saturday night and did not speak with reporters. But veteran quarterback Russell Wilson after the game stood by the mercurial No. 1 offensive weapon.
“I believe in George,” Wilson said. “I believe in who he is, the player he is. He’s been a star for us all season. You know, he’s going to be a difference maker for us in the playoffs obviously, and I’m looking forward to that and what he can do — what we can do together.
“I’m not blinking on George. If anyone believes in him, I definitely do.”
Wilson hit Pickens on the Steelers’ second offensive snap from scrimmage. But he was tackled for no gain.
A night to forget for George Pickens:
1 Rec
6 Targets
3 Drops
0 Rec Yards pic.twitter.com/EEk3G48rl4
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 5, 2025blockquote>But Wilson did not throw toward Pickens the rest of the first half. Pickens entered the fourth quarter with only two targets. And all three times a ball came his way in the fourth, it fell incomplete.
At least three of the five balls that fell incomplete involved Pickens getting his hands on the ball and not hauling it in. While characterizing a “drop” is subjective, after one of those missed connections the ESPN broadcast caught Pickens appearing to jaw with a fan and motioning at him as if he was inviting him for a physical altercation. Teammate Pat Freiermuth appeared to try to diffuse Pickens.
At another point, Wilson was spotted squatting directly in front of Pickens and speaking to him while Pickens sat on the bench on the sideline.
While Pickens deserves blame on at least the three drops he had, it was arguably most on Wilson that his final attempted pass to Pickens fell incomplete. On what would end up the second-to-last Steelers play of the game — a third-and-12 from their own 40 with 20 seconds left in regulation — Pickens appeared to create separation on a deep sideline route to the right side, but the ball sailed over his head as he made a failed attempt to adjust to it while it was in flight. A catch would have put the Steelers in range for a potential winning Chris Boswell field goal.
Pickens missed three games — including the first two of the Steelers’ four-game losing streak — because of a hamstring injury before returning for the Christmas Day loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In his two games back, Pickens has four catches on 13 targets for 50 net yards and no touchdowns.
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“He missed three weeks, you know?” Wilson said. “It feels like he hasn’t made plays in forever because he was out three weeks.
“I think great players, sometimes it doesn’t go their way (on a particular given) day.”
Pickens finished his third NFL regular season with 59 receptions for 900 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games, a slight decline from his 2023 production of 63 catches for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns.
“I have no hesitation to throw the football to him,” Wilson said, “and (in) what he means to our football team.”