Steelers' George Pickens officially becomes a repeat offender after hefty punishment from the NFL
Fool me once, shame you on you, fool me twice, shame on me is how the saying goes right? Well after incurring a fine for his facemask against the Dallas Cowboys earlier in the season, Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens just received another letter in the mail: Pickens Fined $16,883 for Facemask It was a […]
Fool me once, shame you on you, fool me twice, shame on me is how the saying goes right?
Well after incurring a fine for his facemask against the Dallas Cowboys earlier in the season, Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens just received another letter in the mail:
Pickens Fined $16,883 for Facemask
It was a classic George Pickens game last week against the Washington Commanders, as the budding star made yet another miraculous grab for a TD, but also got caught up in some extracurricular activities, including the above facemask-hurdle he attempted.
Earlier this season, Pickens was fined two times against the Dallas Cowboys, including his end-of-game facemask that had many in the media up and arms, with some even calling for his suspension:
"It's certainly something that I'm open to addressing and will and do, said Coach Tomlin earlier in the season when asked about Pickens' behavior, including the eyeblack and facemask on Cowboys' Jourdan Lewis. "I just don't detail them in settings [Press Conferences] like this, because it's business between he and I in terms of his growth and development as a player and as a man. I just don't think it aids growth and development to address it in open settings such as this. Regarding his behavior, I am aware of that, and obviously, that has been and will continue to be addressed. I wasn't aware of the messaging and so, you know, I'm just giving you a knee-jerk response to that."
Now, it should be noted that Pickens facemask against the Commanders had far less ill-intent, as it occurred in the middle of a play, while he was trying to break a tackle and get upfield, as opposed to after the final whistle blew and as an act of pure frustration.
So this situation carries far less of a behavioral concern when comparing it to prior incidents from Pickens. However, it's still a pattern at this point, and one the Steelers are hoping comes to an end sooner rather than later.
