Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was seen during Sunday’s game yelling on the sideline about how he wasn’t getting the ball a lot, and there’s been some commentary since then that the sideline outburst was poor form. But Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had no problem with it.
Tomlin said Pickens was upset that he only caught one pass for two yards, and that it’s good to have players who want the ball more.
“I want a guy who wants to be a significant part of what it is we do,” Tomlin said. “Now the appropriate and professional and mature way to express that, we’re growing and working on, and we will continue. But that spirit, that competitive spirit, that guy that wants the ball? I want that guy.”
Tomlin said Pickens yelling on the sideline was no different than what he has seen from a lot of great players going through frustrating games.
“We’ve got competitors. This is professional football,” Tomlin said. “These guys know they have to deliver. For a guy who wants to do that, I’m not going to make that a negative, no matter how silly I think the commentary is, or people talking about him expressing frustrations, and trying to make it a negative story line. I laugh at that. That’s one of the reasons we’re continually progressing, because we’re capable of tuning that BS out.”
Mike Tomlin: George Pickens is a competitor, I laugh at anyone making it a negative story originally appeared on Pro Football Talk