Steelers admit that George Pickens' recovery has gone way over the expected timeline
It feels like just yesterday that George Pickens was a surprise inactive against the Cleveland Browns. In fact, though, he has missed three straight games, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have dropped two in a row without his services. And while that may change on Christmas day, it's taken a lot longer than anyone in Pittsburgh […]
It feels like just yesterday that George Pickens was a surprise inactive against the Cleveland Browns.
In fact, though, he has missed three straight games, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have dropped two in a row without his services.
And while that may change on Christmas day, it's taken a lot longer than anyone in Pittsburgh thought it would:
Mike Tomlin didn't expect George Pickens to be out so long
"I did not," said Tomlin when asked if he encamped Pickens missing this much time wifh injury. "From a health standpoint, I’ll outline some things. Some guys that didn't play yesterday who have a real chance this week [are] Justin Fields, DeShon Elliott, Donte Jackson, George Pickens, and Larry Ogunjobi – all have an opportunity to play this week…
"…But again, we'll see where the week leads us from their inclusion. The two guys that didn't finish yesterday's game, Joey Porter with a kneeand Ben Skowronek with a hip, their availability remains questionable. I just don't have a lot of new information on those guys, given that we just played last night, and we're still in the process of assessing the state of some of those things. But anybody that didn't makeit out of the stadium yesterday on a four-day turnaround is probably going to have a difficult time showing for this one."
The comments align with what Tomlin told the media after the Cleveland game, which included the fact that upon Magnetic Resonance Imaging, it was determined that Pickens had a grade two hamstring strain.
That's a lot different and much more significant than the hamstring tightness that he reportedly had following a Friday practice.
But the arrow is pointing up for Pickens, as he logged his first limited participation practice on Sunday, even if that was only an estimation given the fact the Steelers didn't actually practice.
So Monday will be big for Pickens, as the team will hold their only true session of the week if you can even call it that ahead of the Christmas day game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
But even with Pickens back in the lineup, the Steelers could still use another option on the perimeter, and it just so happens that one they have a familiarity with has become available.
We'll see if they bite.
