George Pickens Doubles Down on Comments about Browns
PITTSBURGH — George Pickens is standing on business.
The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver was asked repeatedly about his comments and actions over the last two weeks on Friday, and he didn’t back down from anything he’s said and done to draw controversy over the last two weeks.
To recap, Pickens got into a scrum with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II in the middle of the team’s Hail Mary attempt on the final play of the game. Pickens took him self out of the play to wrestle with Newsome, and the players ended up on the end wall, leaning into the stands before they were separated.
Pickens then went off in his postgame comments, saying that the Steelers lost because of the weather and the officiating, and that the Browns are not a good team.
Last week against Cincinnati, it wasn’t Bengals but the officials once again that had Pickens in their crosshairs. He was called for two personal foul penalties against Cincinnati, one for taunting linebacker Germaine Pratt and the other for making a finger-gun gesture toward the crowd after a first down play.
Pickens was asked about Newsome on Friday, and whether or not he’ll try to talk to him before the game. He responded by saying “I don’t even know who that is.”
Asked about his comments about the Browns, he cited their 3-9 record. Pressed about the idea of giving a 3-9 team bulletin board material, Pickens shrugged it off.
“I don’t know what motivates them,” he said. “I’m just focused on what we can do.”
The Browns have certainly made it known that they’ve been motivated by Pickens’ words. After Pickens said he hadn’t heard of Newsome on Friday, the Cleveland cornerback posted a screenshot of an Instagram interaction between the two in 2019.
But Pickens said he’s not worried about the Browns defensive backs getting under his skin, saying “they can’t do it,” despite what transpired at the end of the game two weeks ago.
Asked about what happened against the Bengals, Pickens also said that he doesn’t know what he can do to avoid penalties like the two post-play personal fouls he earned in Cincinnati.
“That’s from playing hard,” he said. “When you’re playing hard, and the league has a target on your back, you can possibly, I’m not saying 100%, but you can possibly get flagged.”
Does he have a target on his back?
“I don’t know,” Pickens said. “I hope not.”
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