Steelers' George Pickens Takes Big Shot At Former Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada

There has been a lot of talk surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver room throughout the 2024 offseason. One consistent belief has been that George Pickens will be the go-to guy following the trade that sent Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. Whether a move is made for another pass-catcher or not, Pickens is expected to be a focal point of the offense in the passing game. He has proven his abilities since being drafted in 2022, but the offense overall has been tough to watch since his rookie campaign. With Matt Canada gone and Arthur Smith in, the third-year wideout could be in for a huge season.

It seems almost impossible for the Steelers' offense to regress, and if Smith's system is anything similar to what he put in place for the Tennessee Titans in 2019 and 2020, points are expected to come much more often. Pickens is already seeing some of the improvement in the unit, and without saying Canada's name, called out the system that had been in place for his career, specifically the one from 2023.

Pickens spoke to members of the media on Wednesday as the team wrapped up its final practice open to fans. When asked about the new offense, the wide receiver seemed excited, while also expressing displeasure regarding 2023.

"The scheme of it is great. I'd probably say a lot of the schemed deep balls," Pickens said. "You guys remember all last year, I was running only go [routes], so I was running deep balls last year too, but scheme-wise, I feel like it's a way better scheme, vertically."

Pickens has a knack for making incredibly difficult catches, and that was put on full display in Canada's offense. Pickens would head straight down the field and quarterbacks would trust his ability to haul in passes over opposing defenders. Now, it seems as if Smith has a plan for him to run different routes down the field, which could end up being a lethal weapon for the Steelers' offense.

Pickens also included that the scheme vertically is prolific, which should bring a smile to the faces of those following the Black and Gold. There is no doubt that Pickens is one of, if not, the most talented player on Pittsburgh's offense. While Smith's system is expected to focus on the rushing attack, the play-action pass will also be extremely important for the unit to succeed as a whole.

If the running game is working, there are going to be plenty of opportunities to get Pickens the ball down the field. It plays to the Steelers' advantage that he seems to have glue on his hands when going up to grab passes. If his routes and the play designs are more creative, there are going to be some big games for him specifically in 2024 and beyond.

Pickens is talented enough to the point where it should not matter who is acting as the starting quarterback. The main goal will be to establish a running game in order to use much more play-action than Canada never even thought to implement.

Steelers May Have To Worry About Consistent Double Teams On Pickens

Barring a big trade, Pittsburgh is going to have its hands full in relation to Pickens. Defenses are going to hone in on him and his talents, which could lead to double teams much more often than not. Without a second receiver really stepping up, this is going to be Pickens' reality and the talented pass-catcher is going to need to find a way to get open regardless of how many defenders are attempting to stop him.

Do you think that Pickens is destined for a breakout season with Smith running the offense? Let us know in the comments below!

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