The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled all season with drama at the wide receiver position with both Diontae Johnson and emerging young superstar George Pickens. There was a point when Johnson was starting a fight in the middle of the locker room after a loss and there have been major question marks all season regarding their effort.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the drama simply never stops in this circus of a position group.
Steelers WR George Pickens Generates More Drama
Following a blowout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, Pickens was fined $16,391 for unsportsmanlike conduct during a touchdown play. Pickens catches a long touchdown pass and as he high steps into the end zone, he turns and points at the defensive backs and taunts them.
The NFL fined #Steelers WR George Pickens $16,391 for unsportsmanlike conduct — pointing at defenders on his second TD last week vs. Cincinnati.
No flag was thrown. pic.twitter.com/1CQUmq0G1e
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 30, 2023
As a Bengals fan, I love to see a young Pittsburgh receiver punished for the smackdown he laid on my team but a fine for this behavior seems fairly excessive. It’s important to consider that he wasn’t even penalized on the play but the NFL chose to deliver a letter to Pickens punishing him for the play.
The NFL has clearly made a point to stick it to the players for the sake of retaining control over the product on the field. It has become obvious with the officiating this year as well as the lack of control over scrums and fighting on the field that the league office has completely lost control.
For More Football News:
Follow me on Twitter at @Super_Squatch76. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and NFL news, click here! If there is a topic you’d like me to cover or a question you’d like to ask, feel free to contact me at my email timothy.mcbride76@gmail.com.