The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their second-straight loss on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
After Justin Fields and the Steelers’ offense seemed to be figuring things out in Week 4, they took a step back on Sunday. They were out-gained by Dallas, 445-to-226, and had to punt five times.
After the loss, many were confused about receiver George Pickens’ usage, as he played just 34 snaps.
On Tuesday, coach Mike Tomlin clarified that the lack of Pickens on the field had more to due with “load management” than character issues.
“Most players, particularly in today’s game that have specialized skill sets that play positions like receiver, they don’t play every down,” Tomlin said. “They don’t play every down because you need them in significant moments. You need ’em at the back half of the season. You need ’em in the second half of football games and those weighty downs, and so it’s really just a 2024 discussion regarding load management.”
Tomlin did also address Pickens’ potential behavioral issues after an interaction involving him and cornerback Jourdan Lewis went viral.
“It’s certainly things that I’m open to addressing and will and do,” Tomlin said. “I just don’t detail, and in settings like this because it’s business between he and I in terms of his growth and development as a player and as a man. I just don’t think it aids that growth and the development to address it in open settings such as this regarding his behavior.” If Tomlin is being honest about Pickens’ usage, fans can hopefully expect to see more of him as the season continues.