NFL Fines George Pickens, Diontae Johnson for Taunting Fouls

The NFL has fined Steelers wide receivers George Pickens and Diontae Johnson for their taunting penalties against the Los Angeles Rams. Johnson got fined $10,927, while the NFL fined Pickens $8,525 for those fouls. Those calls have become a topic of discussion among Pittsburgh over the last week, with Najee Harris even questioning some of the calls, viewing them as soft.

“I almost had one. They said I was talking to the guy,” Harris said. They should know the difference between guys competing and guys saying stuff to hurt someone. We’re just competing. It’s competitive. You might have a little chit-chat. We just have to find a balance where it’s too much and when it’s not. Receivers and DBs, that’s just normal. They are gonna do that every play. Sometimes, I think (officials) can be a little too soft. It’s football. People are gonna talk shit.”

Mike Tomlin noted that he would talk with his receivers about it. It is mainly about the guys being in tune with how the referees call the game and what they will and will not allow. Clearly, on Sunday, the NFL would not allow that. George Pickens also was nailed for his blindside block penalty, racking his fines to up to over $17,000 for the week.

“Oftentimes, it’s our job to feel the tenor of a crew,” Tomlin said. “We have to adjust our behavior accordingly. You know, we got into the game and saw the tenor of that crew and didn’t adjust our behavior accordingly. That’s our job as professionals. Am I worried about those issues being issues moving forward? No, I’m not. But it is a great opportunity to talk about learning the tenor of a (refereeing) crew; the worst thing we did was not adjust to that tenor. That’s on me.”

When the Steelers take the field on Sunday, they will focus on that. Pickens and Johnson both expressed regret for their penalties and made sure to pay attention to it moving forward. For now, it does not seem like something Tomlin and the staff are too worried about repeating.