A big issue that the Pittsburgh Steelers have to fix in order to get further into the playoffs is the consistency of their offense. Mason Rudolph got them a long way but now Mike Tomlin has a new duo of signal-callers able to make plays in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. There are a bunch of differences in both of their play styles but a constant would be that George Pickens is set to be their primary weapon.
Look, it is very clear that Russell Wilson will be the Steelers’ primary option at quarterback. So, it is no surprise that Mike Tomlin is pushing him to get into attaining better synergy alongside George Pickens. However, there will also be times when Justin Fields will have to take over for the Steelers. There is no certainty of when that is set to happen. The Steelers head honcho’s words made the situation more vague.
Tomlin was asked about how Pickens and Fields have gotten along at training camp. He answered with a very glib response, via Christoper Barbre of Steeler Nation.
“You know, I can throw the ball to George too. George is pretty good,” the Steelers coach said.
During training camp, it has become apparent that Fields has been trying to make a connection with Pickens. It has not quite worked out just yet. The Steelers’ secondary signal-caller along with their offense eventually lost 5-2 to their defense in a Seven Shots drill. So, it is safe to see the reason why Tomlin does not trust this duo of Pickens and Fields this early.
How good was George Pickens in the Steelers’ 2023 run?
In his second year under Coach Mike Tomlin, Pickens took a huge leap in production. He was able to do so despite the uncertainty of who the Steelers’ primary signal-caller was. His numbers totaled 1,140 receiving yards on 83 receptions with an average gain of 18.1 yards per catch. What made this more impressive is that his longest catch clocked in at around 86 yards. He was clearly the main option for when the Steelers needed a quick down or even just had to go for it on fourth down.
Moreover, his lethality in the end zone still remains to be improved. He was only able to get five touchdowns for the Steelers and should be able to notch more moving forward. With the caliber of talents that they have at quarterback, he will surely have a long career with some Pro Bowl nods sprinkled in.
