PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Mike Tomlin said George Pickens will play on Saturday and any discipline for him for anything that happened last Saturday, or previously, will be handled in-house and won’t be discussed publicly.
Asked why he thinks it would be appropriate for Pickens to play against the Bengals.
“He’s got talents,” Tomlin said after practice Wednesday. “We want to utilize them. He’s very much in growth and development.”
“It would be the same if we were winning games or if he said appropriate things with you guys yesterday. You guys might have gone away, but that wouldn’t have made me any more comfortable with this process he is going through that is ongoing and will continue to require our attention.”
Tomlin said he met with Pickens last Wednesday and again today and he remains a continual work in progress. He said there is not going to be one incident, one meeting or one form of discipline ‘that is going to institute the type of change we are hunting to be quite honest with you’.
The 17-year Steelers head coach said this isn’t the first time he’s dealt with players having maturity issues. Tomlin said he’s had success in helping previous players grow as men and players. He believes Pickens bigger issue is communicating with the media, not on the field.
“I would like him to be more professional in terms of addressing some of his shortcomings with you guys (media) to further add fluidity to the process,” Tomlin said. “He’s not helping himself. He’s not helping the process in the manner in which he dealt with you guys. The manner he deals with you guys is not necessarily the manner in which he deals with us or himself regarding acknowledging where he is or where he needs to go.”
Pickens day-to-day practices and practice habits are good according to Tomlin, also acknowledging it’s a path with young people growing and developing. Often that path comes with potholes with other people impeding it due to jealously or giving unearned privilege.
“The process is challenging because of them,” Tomlin said. “Their talents are a blessing and a curse. Some people hate them for no reason. Some people give him everything he asks for, for no reason. We just try to give him truth.”
And his head coach believes what you see on the field and his desire to win is where it needs to be.
“He is a competitor,” Tomlin said. “That component of him is mature, and the competitor in him in times works against him when facing challenges such as dealing with you guys (media).”
He said Pickens comment to reporters on Tuesday that he didn’t block near the goal line because of fear of a potential injury against Indianapolis was never expressed to the coaches. Nor does Tomlin seem to believe he didn’t block there to protect himself. It’s more to his point about educating Pickens on what to say, or what not to say.
“When you are not doing your job and losing, you better keep your damn mouth shut and understand that it tracks a certain type of attention as well,” Tomlin said. “Usually that’s vulture-like attention.”
As the birds circle, Tomlin deals with it in house with nothing to see here but some growth and maturity issues.