“It feels like the whole city is burning down, could you have imagined a time where Hines Ward would say that he wasn’t blocking because he didn’t wanna get rolled up…?”
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Cowher minced no words in his criticism of Pickens’ actions, simultaneously highlighting a weak team culture behind such a mindset as he said:
“It is disappointing to see and hear what George Pickens talks about because culture really is about commitment and sacrifice. You’re not just playing with one another, you’re playing for one another.“
Answering the Pittsburgh cowboy, Cowher further said that he could never imagine a player pulling the same stunt as Pickens or simply “not performing and giving everything.” He further stressed that a player should never put himself in such a position that raises questions about their abilities or efforts to be there for their teammates. The legendary coach even propagated the need for consequences for the Steelers’ wideout.
Jaylen Warren Defends Teammate
Pickens’ lack of effort on the field during the Colts matchup was obvious and embarrassing. His admission after was even more painful for fans. Pickens not only got backlash from fans, media, and veteran coaches but also his own teammates. Jaylen Warren called out the wideout as he said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette simply, “Some people play the game differently. If I was in that position, I would have blocked for him. But we play differently, so.”
However, Warren cleared the air on the Sick Podcast’s Jaylen Warren Show and talked about how he and Pickens squashed any resentment. He defended Pickens while highlighting how the media tries to tear apart teammates,
“we talked about how the media tries to bash us together and trying to create this whole scene. But it’s nothing like that. He understands my point of view, the team’s point of view. He understands what’s going on. Next time, he says that he’ll block (for me).”
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Pickens will play in Saturday’s critical AFC North home game against the Bengals, but said the matter of his disciplining will be handled internally. The Pickens debacle seems to be the nail in the coffin of the prevailing narrative of a failing offensive culture within the team.
