Warren told Pickens, “If I was in that situation, I would’ve blocked for him.” Warren plays for the Steelers.
When you just want to make something clear, you can get your point across. You don’t have to yell or scream to be heard.
That’s what Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jaylen Warren said in one sentence when asked about partner George Pickens’ choice not to block for Warren upon a run that could have scored since Pickens was afraid of getting hurt.
Warren said more than this, but this was what was important. Warren said it was clear that getting hurt wouldn’t be something on his mind. He would have helped his friend in any way possible.
This season, Pickens has shown that he only cares about himself and not the team. Why doesn’t the team do anything about his behavior? That’s what makes it worse than it itself.
Before Warren goes out there and does everything he can to help the players win, he has to wonder if his partner is going to make a business choice or look out for him.
On Wednesday, Steelers manager Mike Tomlin talked about how the locker room reacted to George Pickens’s comments that he didn’t want to block for partner Jaylen Warren because he was afraid of hurting himself in last weekend’s defeat to the Colts.
The media did what they were told to inquire from Warren himself why his teammates weren’t putting in as much effort on the play.
He said, “I see where he is coming from,” according to the Post-Gazette. “That’s the way it is.” What he did was what he thought proved best for him in the end.
Warren is known for being honest, and when asked again if he didn’t agree with Pickens’ behavior, he did.
“Some people play a game differently,” Warren answered. “I would have stopped for him if I were in that spot.” But the way we play is different, so…”
That may not be a callout, but Warren’s answer tells us a lot. Pickens’ friends are clearly unhappy with the circumstance, which got worse when he tried to defend his actions and blame the media over the negative attention he is getting right now.
Things have gotten so bad that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and interim offensive assistant Eddie Faulkner talked about it with the public on Wednesday, three days beforehand Pittsburgh plays a must-win game against a Cincinnati Bengals team that is on a roll.
Tomlin told the media that Pickens would be in action on Saturday, making it clear that the second-year receiver would not be punished internally for recent acts.
“George is an incredibly talented guy, but he’s maturing and growing to a lot of ways in regard to football as well as life,” Tomlin told ESPN.
“That’s not something we run away from.” When we draft guys, that’s a problem for our company. We are dedicated to being a part of their development and development in every way.
The situation with Pickens is a lot like how the Steelers’ time has been going so far. The Steelers had a chance to make the playoffs, but they lost three in a row to teams with a total record of 14-28, so they are only 7-7.
While Pittsburgh seems to be falling apart, its next opponent has been having a great time lately despite some problems.
After winning all three of their most recent matches, the Bengals are back in the running for the AFC playoffs.
Jake Browning’s play has been a big part of the Bengals’ recent success. Since taking over for the ill Pro Bowl quarterback, Browning has put up numbers similar to Joe Burrow.
Pickens had said before that he didn’t block to Warren because he didn’t want to get “injured” and be in the same position as Texans receiver Tank Dell, who hurt his leg while holding in Week 13 and missed the rest of the season.
If the Steelers’ acting offensive coordinator, Eddie Faulkner, says Pickens wasn’t blocking for Warren and didn’t tackle Colts safety Justin Blackmon following he picked off a pass to qb Mitch Trubisky during the game, the team talked to him about it.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin tells reporters that wide receiver Pickens will play in Week 16 against the Bengals, even though he hasn’t played much lately. On Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, Pittsburgh (7–7) will host Cincinnati (8–6).