Joe Starkey: Mike Tomlin ignored the warning signs on George Pickens and ultimately paid the price

PITTSBURGH — The most amazing part of the George Pickens story is that so many people thought Pickens was going to grow up on a moment's notice and make it work with the Steelers for one final season.

What have they been watching for the past three years?

They thought Pickens, who is headed to the Dallas Cowboys for essentially a third-round draft pick, would maturely accept the fact that the Steelers gave his job and money to another man. They thought he would offer his best self to the team in spite of that.

They spoke of Pickens as if he was ready to go full Dalai Lama. Like he'd say to himself, "I must accept my plight for what it is. I must be on my best behavior going into a contract year, be a great teammate and prove to the rest of the league that I am worthy of a big contract. I must deal with this like an adult."

Again, I ask: What have they been watching for the past three years?

Did they miss Pickens refusing to block near the goal line against the Colts a few years ago and explain that he didn't want to get injured? Did they miss him jogging on routes against the Cowboys last season? Did they miss him showing up for that nationally televised game with the F-word painted on his face? Did they miss him showing up late for a Christmas Day game against the Chiefs? Did they miss the fact that he showed up late for plenty of other things, too?

Did they miss him choosing to pick a fight rather than do his job on the final play in Cleveland? Did they miss him quit on a play against the Chiefs, leading to an end-zone interception? Did they miss all the in-game tantrums over the years, the abominable no-show in last year's season finale against the Bengals, the arguments with home and road fans, the constant need for sideline babysitters, and the critiques of current and former teammates?

Did they miss mild-mannered ex-Steelers tackle Max Starks, on the team's flagship radio station, offer this remark on Pickens early last season: "I need wide receivers to stop thinking they're bigger than the game itself. We all know who that wide receiver is. ... He needs to grow up."

Did they miss tight end Pat Freiermuth, after the Dallas debacle, delivering this thinly veiled shot at Pickens when asked about a lack of targets: "I trust the coaching staff and what they're doing. Everyone can bitch and complain about a lack of targets, but it's the stuff you do without the ball. That's what leaders do and what good teammates do."

Did they miss the criticisms from ex-Steelers Ben Roethlisberger ("Block somebody, George!") and Chris Hoke, who said of Pickens and his looming contract situation early last season, "Omar [Khan[ and Mike [Tomlin] got to think long and hard because they're putting money in a guy who right now has proven he is not a Pittsburgh Steeler-type player in terms of effort and playing with a sense of urgency."

To their credit, the Steelers found a replacement in DK Metcalf and cut bait with Pickens rather than wait to see if he imploded at training camp or some point in the season — and the smart money said he would.

To their immense discredit, they ignored the warning signs when they took Pickens with the 52nd overall pick in 2022.

Tomlin probably thought he'd outsmarted the rest of the league by snagging Pickens when he did, ignoring the fact that Pickens had more red flags than the old Soviet Union.

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, before that draft, quoted multiple NFL scouts and receiver coaches wary of Pickens.

One scout: "There's a lot of upside, but he can't get out of his own way. He's been enabled his whole life."

One coach: "You love his game, but there's some issues. Do you want to work with him? ... I wouldn't touch him."

The biggest joke was that so many NFL observers figured Pittsburgh was the perfect place for Pickens and that Tomlin was the perfect coach. Put a potentially problematic player in Pittsburgh, the thinking went, and the culture there would take care of him.

Actually, the culture here would enable and embolden him, as it has so many others.

The environment here seems to make problems worse — especially at the receiver position. Like so many other star receivers, Pickens took his coach's faith, trust and protection and ignored it, following the path of Santonio Holmes, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson.

If Pickens blocked for teammates the way Tomlin blocked for him, we'd have quickly forgotten Hines Ward. Every time something came up with George, Tomlin ran interference like a pulling Alan Faneca. He couldn't even admit he benched Pickens in the Cowboys game, for goodness sake, claiming instead that Pickens was limited because of "snap management."

Nor could Tomlin admit that Pickens failed to run a route, or even move his body, on what became an end-zone interception against the Chiefs. Instead of perhaps drawing a safety away from the play, Pickens stood as still as a pylon. But no, it wasn't George's fault. It never was. Meanwhile, when offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was asked a few days later what Pickens was supposed to be doing on the play, he said, "Not that."

Tomlin also declined to answer the question, a few weeks later, when asked if Pickens was indeed late to the Chiefs game. He said he didn't remember.

He forgot that his best player showed up late to a game?

Nobody denies Pickens' incredible talent. He was at times quite productive, as well. But you don't win with guys like him. The Steelers sure didn't. Not anything significant, anyway. They haven't come close to winning a single playoff game since the 2016 season. Pickens can't get out of his own way. He is selfish and immature and undependable and constantly in need of coddling, and he will not a see a second contract here.

In fact, he didn't even see the end of his first contract. As the aforementioned scout said, Pickens has been enabled his whole life — and thanks to Tomlin, that included his time with the Steelers. When Pickens erupted on the sidelines in Atlanta in his 12th NFL game, demanding the ball, Tomlin jumped to his defense.

"I'm not going to make that a negative no matter how silly I think the commentary is, or people talking about him expressing frustrations and stuff and trying to make it a negative storyline," Tomlin said. "I laugh at that."

Nobody's laughing now.

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