The NFL doubled down on their discipline of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens following the Week 13 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
“The NFL fined Steelers WR George Pickens $20,462 for two unsportsmanlike conduct violations — including his finger gun towards the stands after a 46-yard catch last week,” NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported on December 7.
As Pelissero noted, NFL Football Operations chose to issue two separate $10,231 fines according to the gameday accountability page. One for his “taunting” penalty in the first quarter, and another for the “violent gesture” that can be seen above. The latter flag occurred in quarter three.
After the game, Pickens claimed that an NFL official on the field acknowledged that they “got the gesture wrong” and misunderstood its meaning. The wide receiver called it typical first down celebration, while the league clearly interpreted it as a “finger gun” — as Pelissero put it.
Despite Pickens’ claims, the league did not waiver in their initial interpretation of this gesture. And now the 23-year-old is stuck footing another bill north of $20,000.
Per Sporting News, his combined 2024 fines have now added up to “nearly $58,000” this season.
Popular Sports Doc Says Steelers WR George Pickens Could Have ‘High Risk’ of Reinjury After Mysterious Hamstring Issue
The Steelers placed a “questionable” tag on Pickens on December 6 after some sort of mysterious “hamstring” injury. While most still expect the star wideout to suit up versus the Cleveland Browns in Week 14, there is concern that this issue could cause a more serious injury.
“Something to monitor as it looks like George Pickens suffered a hamstring injury in practice,” popular sports medicine physician Jesse Morse (certified MD) weighed in on X. “Likely just a tweak but he’s high risk for reinjury.”
Morse is just speculating, of course, but he brings up a solid point — and a major fear for any and all Steelers fans. If Pickens were to worsen this hamstring injury to a level where he misses multiple weeks, Pittsburgh would be in big trouble at wide receiver.
The Steelers have managed to maneuver a lack of depth at the position throughout the year, but they’ve done so in large part because of Pickens. Without him and the constant threat that he provides, it’s unclear how this offense would operate.
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