Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Max Starks didn’t hold back when criticizing wide receiver George Pickens after the team’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Steelers need more from Pickens, who managed just 26 receiving yards in Week 5, his lowest output of the season.
Starks pointed to a need for more maturity from the young wideout during the SNR postgame show with Mike Prisuta and Charlie Batch.
“I need wide receivers to stop thinking they’re bigger than the game,” Starks said. “Putting personal messages on your eye black and throwing emotional fits on the sidelines doesn’t help build a team. That’s not camaraderie.
“Some guys need to grow up faster than others. If you want to be a number one receiver, act like it. Don’t behave like a number three in those moments. Don’t disappear when you want the ball.
“He needs to grow up and show it on the field.”
Starks, a key part of the Steelers’ Super Bowl wins in 2005 and 2008, played with Hines Ward for eight seasons. Ward is remembered as one of the most selfless receivers in Pittsburgh history.
Before the final play against Dallas—a desperation lateral—Pickens had only 1 catch for 13 yards in the second half.
Drama Surrounding George Pickens Against the Cowboys
Pickens’ night got off to an odd start. During the Sunday night game against Dallas, he stirred social media by writing a message on his eye black.
“Steelers WR George Pickens is not playing around,” read a post from MLFootball’s X account, along with a photo of Pickens’ eye black.
From there, things only went downhill. After the final play, Pickens tackled Cowboys defensive back Jourdan Lewis by the face mask. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin later addressed why Pickens saw fewer offensive snaps than usual.
“We just wanted to minimize his reps to get more productivity,” Tomlin explained during the postgame press conference.
“We’re managing his reps for the bigger picture. [Pickens] wasn’t less of a focal point in our offensive game plan, but we reduced his reps to aim for higher-quality play.”
Tomlin insisted there was no “underlying story” behind Pickens’ limited snaps. But with only 26 receiving yards, the eye black issue, and a face mask penalty, it was an eventful night for Pickens filled with controversy.
Max Starks Criticizes George Pickens
Pittsburgh’s receiving struggles extend beyond Pickens, with little production from the depth chart, leading defenses to focus on him. Still, he leads the team with 310 receiving yards.
However, in the tight loss to the Cowboys, Pickens had chances to step up but failed to capitalize.
The “quality” of Pickens’ route running against Dallas likely explains why he played only 59% of the offensive snaps in Week 5, compared to at least 74% in the previous three games.
Starks’ frustration with Pickens continued on the SNR postgame show.
“You say you’re always open,” Starks said. “Then show me what you do when you’re open. Let the ball hit your hands. Do something about it.
“Don’t sit there and pout. Go block downfield, and maybe you’ll be part of the next big play on play-action. When it’s more about ‘me’ than ‘we,’ you hurt the team.”
