UPDATE: Mike Tomlin was asked about Pickens being late:
“Um, man, that’s a few days back,” said Tomlin. “I really don’t know I have the answer to that . . . I have a lot going on in pregame, I can’t answer that definitively.
According to a report from Steelers reporter Mike DeFabo, wide receiver George Pickens showed up late to Acrisure Stadium on Christmas Day for the team’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, after missing the previous two with a hamstring injury.
DeFabo writes in The Athletic that Pickens showed up 35 minutes late for the game.
He says Head Coach Mike Tomlin asks players to be at the stadium at least two hours before kickoff.
Talking to Joe Starkey on 93.7 The Fan, DeFabo says he saw Pickens show up late with his own eyes.
“Pickens walked through the media entrance an hour and 25 minutes before kickoff,” writes DeFabo.
“I spot a PR staffer from the Steelers looking very frantic . . . she’s right there at the door and then all the sudden, here comes George Pickens, they whisk him in, he goes and walks right out onto the field.,” DeFabo told Starkey.
This is also a guy who is coming off missing two games with that hamstring and needing to warm up.
Pickens showed up after the inactive players for the game against the Chiefs were announced.
Speaking with other players after the game to get a feel for how they felt about Pickens being late, DeFabo said they basically expressed "that's just George."
“That’s unacceptable,” said Andrew Fillipponi. “He should have been benched.”
DeFabo says that the Steelers tolerating Pickens showing up late isn’t fair to people like tight end Pat Freiermuth, who show up on time.
It’s also concerning that this type of behavior continues years after similar reports of running back Le’Veon Bell showing up late.
As DeFabo said, Bell’s tardiness was back when Steelers writer Ed Bouchette was still at the Post-Gazette. Bouchette moved on to The Athletic and then retired since then.
“this has been going on so long that Ed Bouchette is now three stages later in his career and the Steelers are at the exact same place,” said DeFabo
Pickens had seven targets for three catches that day for 50 yards.