"What a child" - Steelers fans makes feelings clear on George Pickens' cold response to Russell Wilson miscommunication

Over the years, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has had to deal with some interesting personalities in the locker room, including Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. The trend has continued in 2025 with George Pickens.

There has been no shortage of issues when it comes to Pickens, and Week 17 showed another instance of why the Steelers may eventually consider moving on from him.

During the Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Russell Wilson threw a puzzling interception in the end zone, which raised a few eyebrows. Wilson later clarified that he thought Pickens was going to run a vertical route that would have pulled the safety away but instead ended up throwing it to tight end Pat Freiermuth, who was in triple coverage.

This week, Pickens was asked about that play and for his thoughts on what Wilson reportedly termed as miscommunication. That question led to a tense exchange. Pickens abruptly ended the discussion by pulling his mask over his nose, but it took little time for the video to go viral. Steelers fans had a lot to say about his behavior in the press scrum:

"What a child," one tweeted.

"Trade him," one fan wrote.

"He's a b*m and refuses to grow up," another wrote.

"What did anybody expect?" another added.

---

Could Steelers move on from George Pickens in 2025?

If the Steelers were comfortable trading a perennial All-Pro like Antonio Brown, one would assume that they would be ready to deal Pickens in 2025. The free agent WR class will have several serviceable names on the list. including the likes of Buffalo Bills receiver Amari Cooper, Tampa Bay Buccaneers playmaker Chris Godwin and Chicago Bears veteran Keenan Allen.

Pickens will likely not be a free agent until after the 2025 season, so there's still a chance that they recoup a Day 2 pick for the wide receiver, but a lot could happen between now and February.

For now, the Steelers will have to focus on putting the Christmas Day game behind them as they get set to face the Cincinnati Bengals, who are competing for an all-or-nothing spot in the playoffs.

---