"This guy is Antonio Brown 2.0," "He's out of there" - NFL fans stunned over George Pickens' comments on Steelers' future

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens' post-game comment about the team’s trajectory is pessimistic. When asked if he felt optimistic about the offense's growth, Pickens coolly replied:

"Uh, nah."

The blunt response came after the Steelers’ wild-card loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, where the veteran WR recorded five receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown.

NFL fans wasted no time dissecting the implications.

“He’s out of there,” one fan said.

“This guy is Antonio Brown 2.0, cut his diva punk a** & move on,” another fan said.

The comparisons to the controversial former Steeler, Antonio Brown clearly show the fan's unease with Pickens.

"This interaction makes such little sense that I can only question if he knows what ‘optimistic’ means," a fan said.

More NFL fans joined in.

"Why are the receivers always head cases," a fan said.

"To be fair, I’m not sure my guy knows what optimistic means. Maybe, hopefully," another fan said.

"Pickens is a menace. Dude is funny as hell on the field 😂," a fan said.

Apart from his losing faith in the Steelers, George Pickens did mention that he has seen "signs of growth" in the team's offense ever since he joined the franchise.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended on a sour note. In spite of strong efforts from quarterback Russell Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers couldn’t overcome the Ravens. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry torched the Steelers' defense and combined for over 250 yards on the ground. Moreover, Jackson added two passing touchdowns to his playoff tally.

Coming to George Pickens, his 2024 season saw a dip in production compared to last season. He scored 900 yards and three touchdowns, which is down from 1,140 yards and five scores in 2023.

Given Pickens' pessimism with the Steelers, it is possible that he might be angling for a fresh start or a lucrative extension elsewhere. That said, the young WR is under contract through the 2025 season.

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George Pickens faced yet another setback amid playoff exit

The Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens received a $22,511 fine from the NFL for a facemask penalty in a Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

It happened in a tightly contested 19-17 game when Pickens, in pursuit of a poorly thrown ball by his QB Russell Wilson, was flagged for grabbing a defender’s facemask.

Pickens wasn’t the only player to draw the league’s ire, as Bengals defenders Akeem Davis-Gaither and Germaine Pratt also faced fines for their own roughness penalties.