Steelers’ George Pickens called “weak” by Cowboys’ Jourdan Lewis

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was heavily criticized by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis after Sunday’s game.

While walking to the locker room after the Cowboys’ 20-17 win at Acrisure Stadium, Lewis sounded off on the Steelers’ third-year wide receiver. 

“Pittsburgh need a receiver,” Lewis said, according to a post on X by Bobby Belt of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “George Pickens is weak.”

Pickens had three catches for 26 yards against Dallas. He was targeted seven times. It was a frustrating game for Pickens, who ripped Lewis down by his facemask after the game’s final play. The two had to be separated by a referee. Lewis then made his way off the field before calling Pickens “weak.”

The 23-year-old Pickens has 23 catches for 310 yards and no touchdowns through five games this season. He is playing 73 percent of offensive snaps, the lowest total in his NFL career. 

After the game against the Cowboys, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin explained why Pickens played 34 of 58 snaps, the third most out of the team’s wide receiver unit. 

“We just wanted to minimize his reps in an effort to get more productivity,” Tomlin said, according to Penn Live. “We’re just trying to rep manage in terms of the totality of the big picture. He wasn’t less of a focal point in terms of our intentions of what we wanted to do offensively.”

Tomlin added it was about “snap management” and there was no “underlying story,” according to Penn Live.