Amid Ugly Receiver History Steelers Mike Tomlin Pulled Plug On George Pickens
One man's trash is another man's treasure. Right, Pittsburgh Steelers fans?
While the Dallas Cowboys gloat over adding an elite No. 2 receiver in George Pickens, a new report from longtime Steelers writer and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly claims that none other than Mike Tomlin wanted the talented-but-temperamental player out of town.
Advertisement
"Make no mistake about it, Tomlin — who has gone out of his way in the past to defend Pickens — is the one who decided that the Pickens rehabilitation project needed to end a year early," Kaboly writes. "The ultimate decision had very little to do with general manager Omar Khan (although he signed off on it, too), and of course it was OK'd by team owner Art Rooney II."
If iron-fisted Tomlin couldn't control Pickens' emotional outbursts, does Cowboys' rookie boss Brian Schottenheimer stand a chance?
After an ugly two-game stretch in 2023 in which he caught only three passes for 21 yards, Pickens posted "Free me!" on his social media and scrubbed any mentions of the Steelers. He later explained the move had "nothing to do with football." Later that year he was roundly criticized for a lack of effort, specifically not blocking for running back Jaylen Warren near the goal line. Pickens claimed he was trying to avoid injury.
He's had multiple shouting altercations with fans at games. He's been fined several times for unsportsmanlike conduct, including last year's game against the Cowboys when he violently grabbed the facemask of cornerback Jourdan Lewis. And in Week 17 he arrived late for a key game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Advertisement
Said Tomlin about Pickens late last year, "He's just got to grow up, man. This is an emotional game. He's got a target on his back because he's George; he understands that. But he's got to grow up. He's got to grow up in a hurry."
Tomlin is a future Hall of Famer and is perceived to have total control of the Steelers' locker room. But with the addition of Pickens, the list of receivers he ultimately couldn't handle is rather impressive:
Martavis Bryant, 2018.
Antonio Brown, 2019.
Chase Claypool, 2022.
Diontae Johnson, 2024.
George Pickens, 2025.
Did the Cowboys steal a treasure? Or did Tomlin and the Steelers merely part with more trash?
Related: Steelers T.J. Watt Move Tied To George Pickens Trade
Related: Florio Rips Cowboys and Steelers Because He Doesn't Know How Trades Work
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
16 minutes ago
- Fast Company
Basketball fans are pissed about the Finals' court design. But there's a reason it's so plain
The look of the NBA Finals basketball court is being reconsidered, and we could have the fans to thank. At Game 2 last Friday, the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder played on the Thunder's home court. The 'Thunder Blue' court shows the team logo at half court and also features logos for Paycom Center, the arena. What it didn't have was any indication this was a championship game. No 'NBA Finals' logo, no Larry O'Brien Trophy. Unlike the in-season NBA Cup, which got 30 all-new, fully painted courts designed by artist Victor Solomon last fall, the Pacers and Thunder are playing the NBA Finals on their regular courts. It's a matter of logistics and the quick turnaround of the games, but fans say it robs the games of a special design detail. Friday's game was broadcast with virtual Finals logos shown on the court for fans watching at home, but viewers complained about technical glitches and compared the look of the virtual trophy decal to an emoji. One social media user likened the busy floor design packed with virtual decals for corporate sponsorships to a NASCAR hood. Mid-game, the broadcast swapped out the emoji-like virtual trophy logo for a script 'Finals' logo. The poorly received court had fans wishing for an elevated design for the Finals. One reason the NBA Finals doesn't have any physical on-court branding for the series is because the NBA doesn't use decals on its courts to maintain the integrity of the playing surface. That's not just in the Finals, but all season long, and it's been that way since 2014. Instead, team logos and other elements like sponsor logos are painted on, or virtual logos can be added. 'One of the reasons we moved away from the logos on the courts is—whether it was perception or reality—there was a sense that maybe the logos added some slipperiness to the court,' NBA commissioner Adam Silver said before Game 2. But painting takes time. Making a custom court involves building, sanding, painting, and drying, which would take too long for the NBA's quick-turn Finals schedule. There was less than a week between this year's semifinals and Game 1. Since 2021, the NBA has added virtual Finals logos on the court for viewers at home as a workaround, and it's found other ways to bring in NBA Finals branding into the game, including logos on uniform jerseys, warmups, basket stanchions, courtside signage, and game balls. Still, Silver said he understood the fans' disappointment. 'I think for a media-driven culture, whether it's people watching live or seeing those images on social media, it's nice when you're looking back on highlights and they stand out because you see that trophy logo or some other indication that it's a special event,' he said recently at an event. 'So, we'll look at it.' The time commitment involved in making basketball courts presents a challenge, but Silver suggested there still might be a solution. 'Maybe there's a way around it,' he said.
USA Today
17 minutes ago
- USA Today
Miami Minicamp Confidential: CB Cam Smith enters third NFL season with nothing guaranteed
Miami Minicamp Confidential: CB Cam Smith enters third NFL season with nothing guaranteed Following the first day of the Miami Dolphins' mandatory minicamp, head coach Mike McDaniel spoke to South Florida reporters about many topics, including third-year cornerback Cam Smith. Selected as a developing defensive back out of South Carolina, the Dolphins need to get production out of Smith in year three. Smith's first two seasons barely saw him hit the field. As a rookie, Smith saw just 20 defensive snaps and last season he appeared in just six games, playing 134 snaps. In limited action, it hasn't been pretty. Smith has been targeted against 23 times so far in his two years and has allowed 18 receptions for a completion percentage of 78.3 and a quarterback rating of 101.6 with no interceptions or passes defended. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked about the 2023 second-rounder's development and how Smith could see more action in 2025. 'The starting point this offseason for all the players, and particularly younger players that are trying to establish themselves in the National Football League, is how we focus on the job at hand. So much of defensive back play, so much of defensive play particularly in coverage is something that I don't hear anybody talk about – eye discipline," McDaniel said. McDaniel could be hinting to something and saying it without saying it. 'That from every play, how you align, your body posture, where your eyes are and your consistent variables that you can rely on when you're having to think about other things, he has jumped into that full force. So he is getting real stuff out of every day," McDaniel said of Smith. While always fun to attempt to decipher the loquacious coach's language, McDaniel could be alluding to daily preparation and practice needed for a pro. 'Why I say real is because practicing football without the focus that's consistent with game day execution is like the difference between playing catch and running a route in an offense, it's totally different. 'He is chopping wood. The end result, I wouldn't want right now to get where we want to go, both the organization and the player. There's much more work that needs to be built upon what he's put in thus far, so we're at a good spot in where we're developing this year for him to perform and for his teammates to count on him," McDaniel said. McDaniel went on to essentially challenge Smith. 'It's not only his job to get to this point, but to follow through without any sort of stepbacks and vigor and focus every day moving forward," McDaniel said. 'We'll see what he has in store based upon thus far this offseason. I think it'll be a good day for Cam Smith today. I'll let you tell him face to face if he followed through with his intent and deliberate nature that he's done so far this offseason.' The difference heading into the 2025 season as opposed to the last two is that he is not just a backup or depth player behind veteran starters such as Xavien Howard, Jalen Ramsey, and Kendall Fuller. In a room where he could be labeled as the top outside corner at the moment, the competition will be heavy this summer for one of the top two boundary cornerback jobs. 'I think the biggest thing is what we've captured this offseason that I prioritize over everything is really a competitive, get something out of the day, develop mindset. 'So each and every day is supremely important for those guys, because we're competing every day, and we have to not only see how they start, but how they handle adversity that will come Week 1, 2, 3 and every game that exists moving forward," McDaniel said. Whether Smith steps up in season three remains to be seen. From McDaniel's clear indication, nothing is guaranteed for him or any player in the cornerback room.
Fast Company
26 minutes ago
- Fast Company
This hidden detail in the Milwaukee Brewers logo was worthy of a ‘Jeopardy!' clue
Two hidden letters embedded inside a Major League Baseball team's logo were clues on Jeopard y! And if you didn't know their secret meaning before, don't worry—because some of their own players and fans didn't either. The clue in the 'Logo-A-Go-Go' category for $200 was: 'Some players have been on this MLB team for quite some time before noticing that its ball-and-glove logo forms the letters M and B.' Contestant Ted Nyman gave the correct response: 'Who are the Milwaukee Brewers?' — Richard (@ifiwasrichard) June 9, 2025 The Brewers announced a rebrand in 2019 for the club's 50th anniversary. The team brought back an old logo first used in 1978 that cleverly placed a lowercase B underneath a letter M to form a baseball mitt out of the team nickname's initials—and they're hidden in plain sight. It's a concept by Tom Meindel, a former art history student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire who submitted the design to a team logo contest. The contest was open to the public, and out of nearly 2,000 submissions, Meindel's logo won. (He received $2,000 for his work.) That the Brewers revived his classic ball-in-glove logo for their 50th anniversary is a testament to the logo's simplicity and proof that nostalgia sells in sports. You can't unsee the hidden M and B in the Brewers logo once you see them. But like the Jeopardy! clue said, it's not always obvious at first glance, including to the team's own fans and players. 'I had actually been in the organization for probably five years before I figured it out,' right fielder Ryan Braun admitted in 2019. And in an open poll that year on what was then called Twitter, the Brewers team account asked: 'How old were you when you realized the glove is also an 'm' and a 'b'?' And the responses were 39.1% for 'Always known,' 31.4% for 'Far too late in life,' and 29.5% for 'Wait. What?!'
