NFL viewers demand 'disgrace' player is benched after damning footage emerges

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was accused of quitting connected routes during the team's nonaccomplishment to the Dallas Cowboys - and fans were near fuming

In the aftermath of the Pittsburgh Steelers' decision to the Dallas Cowboys, caput manager Mike Tomlin is nether unit to seat George Pickens.

The wide receiver came nether occurrence for a perceived deficiency of effort during Sunday Night Football, which saw the Cowboys snatch a 20-17 triumph astatine Acrisure Stadium aft a important upwind delay. Amid rising tensions, Dak Prescott's touchdown to Jalen Tolbert with conscionable 20 seconds near connected the timepiece clinched the win, pushing the Cowboys to a 3-2 grounds astatine the five-game mark.

Steelers QB Justin Fields enactment up 131 yards and 2 touchdowns but seemed to beryllium missing his cardinal people arsenic Pickens was criticized for appearing disengaged passim the game. Compounding fans' frustration, video clips circulated connected societal media showing Pickens lethargically executing respective routes, igniting a tempest among supporters and commentators alike.

Michael Salfino from The Athletic made his feelings abundantly clear, blasting retired connected societal media, "Pickens is simply a disgrace. So overmuch for Tomlin moving a choky ship. Why is helium not benched? This should not beryllium acceptable."

Pickens' show against the Cowboys was notedly subdued, with lone 3 catches retired of 7 targets, amassing a specified 26 receiving yards - his lowest this play to day - portion besides marking the second-lowest reception count. Adding insult to injury, the wideout took portion successful a idiosyncratic debased of 34 violative snaps.

The Cowboys' nonaccomplishment marked a career-first for Pickens arsenic helium played little than 60 percent of violative snaps for the archetypal time.

Steelers caput manager Tomlin revealed that Pickens was nether a strategized workload limitation, aiming to sphere his spot for the remainder of the season's grind.

"We conscionable wanted to minimize his reps successful an effort to get much productivity," Tomlin explained to the media. "We're conscionable trying to rep negociate successful presumption of the totality of the large picture. He wasn't little of a focal constituent successful presumption of our intentions of what we wanted to bash offensively."

He drew parallels betwixt Pickens and seasoned Cam Heyward, stressing: "It's nary antithetic than we minimize immoderate of the snaps of D-linemen similar Cam Heyward. It's conscionable astir drawback management. There's nary underlying story, to beryllium rather honorable with you."

Heyward played a notable 55 snaps against the Cowboys. Notably, receivers Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III saw much enactment than expected prima receiver Pickens, who was benched for astir of the last touchdown thrust which included a pivotal drawback by Brandon Johnson, freshly promoted from the signifier squad.

Despite a humble commencement with lone 23 receptions for 310 yards and nary touchdowns implicit 5 games successful the 2024 NFL campaign, Pickens' 3-2 Steelers are present eyeing triumph implicit the 2-3 Las Vegas Raiders astatine Allegiant Stadium travel Sunday, Oct. 13.