PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens doesn’t appear too worried about a rematch with Cleveland defensive back Greg Newsome II.
Two weeks after Pickens and Newsome ended Cleveland’s 24-19 upset of the Steelers by crashing into the snow-laden stands, Pickens went full “Mean Girls” and feigned ignorance when asked if he expected to talk to Newsome — who labeled Pickens a “fake tough guy” in the aftermath — before kickoff when the teams meet again Sunday in Pittsburgh.
“I don’t even know who that is,” Pickens said flatly.
In the very off chance Pickens needs a refresher, he and Newsome spent the final snap at snowy Huntington Bank Stadium wrestling all the way down the field, into the end zone and beyond during Pittsburgh’s ill-fated Hail Mary attempt on the last snap.
The ball fell harmlessly to the ground while Newsome and Pickens kept right on going, with Pickens grabbing Newsome’s helmet as they slammed into a restraining wall. The two eventually separated and cameras caught Pickens needing to be restrained as Newsome walked away.
Newsome, who said he had “no idea” what started the dustup, dismissed the idea that Pickens’ comment was a sign of disrespect.
“Nah, because the only way you would take something that somebody says disrespectful is if you actually care about that person,” Newsome said. “So I don’t care what he has to say or anybody has to say. So I don’t take it as disrespectful because I don’t care about the dude at all.”
Newsome — who shared a screengrab on X of Pickens responding to an Instagram story that Newsome made in 2019 — added that Pickens “is a guy that cares more so about himself and you could see that in the penalties that he causes.”
Very public displays of frustration and/or immaturity by the talented Pickens, 23, have become a frequent occurrence. He already has been fined multiple times this fall for various violations — including a facemask against Dallas safety Jourdan Lewis at the end of a Cowboys win in October — and become a lightning rod for attention during his three seasons in the league.
Pickens was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct after receptions last weekend against Cincinnati, penalties that cost the Steelers valuable field position and did little to deter Pickens’ growing reputation as a player opponents can rattle.
While Pickens dismissed the idea that defenders can get inside his head, when asked why the penalties and fines keep coming and he finds himself mixing it up so frequently — in the last two months alone Pickens has tangled with Newsome, Lewis and Washington’s Mike Sainristil — Pickens absolved himself from any wrongdoing.
“That comes from playing hard,” Pickens said. “When you’re playing hard, the league has a target on your back. You possibly, I’m not saying 100 percent, but you possibly could get flags.”
Pickens added that he “hopes” he’s not being singled out by the officials.
“I’m just out there playing like every other receiver,” said Pickens, who leads the first-place Steelers (9-3) with 55 receptions for 850 yards and three scores.
Not exactly.
Everyone from Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to quarterback Russell Wilson to offensive tackle Broderick Jones — a teammate of Pickens when the two were at Georgia — have come to Pickens’ defense at various points this season, though Tomlin may be running out of patience. Tomlin said Pickens needs to “grow up and grow up in a hurry” after the penalties in Cincinnati.
Jones approached Pickens after both plays to try and help Pickens hit the reset button.
“Everybody knows he’s a great football player,” Jones said. “But we’re trying to do something bigger and better here with our offense and just our schemes and we just don’t need nothing to slow us down. You make a good play then you giving (the yardage) right back to them, that makes no sense.”
It wasn’t uncommon for Pickens to have similar outbursts at Georgia, though Jones noted there is a significant difference in the way the outbursts were handled when Pickens was a Bulldog versus now.
“Back then you’ve got punishment, now they just take your money,” Jones said. “I just feel like George doesn’t play the game for the money. He loves the game. He wants everybody to see his swagger.”
Swagger that Pickens seems to be leaning into even as the spotlight that seems to follow him everywhere grows brighter. He spent three minutes on Friday shading both Newsome and the Browns in general.
After losing to Cleveland, Pickens blamed the snowy conditions more than anything the Browns did, calling them a bad team. He still feels that way.
“I just go by their record,” Pickens said of Cleveland, which sits at 3-9 with five games to go.
Jones laughed when Pickens’ comments were passed along.
“He be trolling, he’s just a troll,” Jones said. “Like I tell him, just keep making plays. … Just keep doing what you doing, just try to cut off the stupid stuff.”
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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers contributed to this report.
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