The Pittsburgh Steelers and Head Coach Mike Tomlin have recently been under fire from everyone in the media amidst their three-game losing streak to inferior opponents. It seems as though Tomlin has lost his way with the Steelers locker room, as players have been having outbursts throughout the entire 2023 NFL season. The most recent issue within the locker room has been George Pickens admitting to taking a play off to avoid an injury, and Tomlin completely refusing to hold him accountable, which Shannon Sharpe harshly criticized him for.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin is currently being grilled by fans and the media for the current state of the team.
Steelers' Tomlin Called Out By Shannon Sharpe
Pickens had a chance to get a touchdown saving block on a run play by Jaylen Warren in Week 15 against the Indianapolis Colts. Instead, Pickens gave up halfway through the play. Warren would have easily gotten into the end zone had Pickens kept blocking, but the defender Pickens was responsible for was able to make a tackle. Warren later stated that he would have blocked for Pickens, and Tomlin essentially came out and said that Pickens is too valuable to the team to consider benching him, despite putting himself before the team.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers receiver George Pickens tried to avoid an Indianapolis Colts defender after making a catch in their Week 15 2023 regular season matchup.
Sharpe then went on a rant on ESPN's First Take about how Tomlin is making a mistake not punishing the young wide receiver, and how he has created a pattern of letting his players get away with unacceptable behavior.
"AB [Antonio Brown] got rewarded, you never reward negative behavior, therefore you don't run the risk because it's no longer 'The standard is the standard,' that is the standard. BS'ing. That is the standard for the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver core. That is why they're going through what they're going through. Because Mike Tomlin has shown you, he has told you what the standard is. If you can play, it doesn't matter what you do on the field."
Sharpe was furious that the Steelers and Tomlin have nothing to put a stop to these antics by Pickens, and they keep enabling it week after week. He allows his players to admit to putting themselves before the success of the team, which shouldn't happen in any professional sport. Sharpe continued and discussed how there is no incentive for these players to do what they are supposed to do.
"You can boo a drive, you can drop balls, you can go half-hearted. I'm gonna put you in the game because I believe your talent demands that I do so. What's the incentive to make them do what they should, if they're going to play regardless?"
Tomlin has yet to discipline Pickens in any meaningful way, despite his countless antics. Which is exactly why they keep occurring, as Sharpe said. There is nothing to incentivize good behavior, and there is nothing to scare the players away from saying or doing things that they shouldn't. Incidents with Pickens seem to happen every week, and Tomlin doesn't seem adamant on putting an end to them at all.
Tomlin says he won't discuss any form of discipline for Pickens with the media.
— Amanda Godsey (@AmandaFGodsey) December 20, 2023
Pickens has had a few meltdowns in 2023, including posting cryptic posts on social media and unfollowing many of his teammates. He even liked a video on Instagram that was making fun of Kenny Pickett's recent ankle injury.
The antics from Pickens have been endless, and there is no sign that they will be stopping any time soon. He is valuable to the team on the field, and he has made many plays this season to help the Steelers win games. At a certain point, Tomlin has to figure out that benching and punishing these players for their actions will be good for the team in the long-term.
What do you think about Sharpe's rant on Tomlin? Let us know in the comments below!
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