The last time the Steelers and Browns squared off was just two weeks ago—a game from Cleveland that ended as a 24-19 Browns win after a failed Russell Wilson Hail Mary attempt.
Overshadowing the final play was Pittsburgh wide receiver George Pickens and Cleveland defensive back Greg Newsome II wrestling through the endzone toward the stands. The two had to separated by security and fans.
Ahead of their second matchup of the season this coming Sunday, Pickens is already starting to smack talk. On Friday, he pleaded ignorance when asked if he'd have words with Newsome this weekend:
"I don't even know who that is."
Newsome quickly clapped back on X (formerly Twitter), posting a screenshot from an Instagram direct message between the two that shows Pickens reached out to him in the past and does, in fact, know who he is:
😂🤡 https://t.co/ET5ObZNVjV pic.twitter.com/027W1zMoKF
— Greg Newsome II (@gnewsii) December 6, 2024
The Browns cornerback was also asked on Friday about Pickens and his comments:
"He's a guy that cares more so about himself [than his team]," he said. "And you can see that in the penalties that he causes. For me, my job is to try to do whatever I can to help the team win. So there's never gonna be no 1-on-1 battle for me. My battle is to try to help my team get the win."
"He does that type of stuff all the time," Newsome answered when asked if Pickens' actions fuel him. "There will never be a man that ever can fuel me in any type of way. Definitely not."
While leading the Steelers' offense in both catches (55) and yards (850) this season, Pickens has been subject to a handful of costly penalties in 2024. Just last week against the Bengals, he was flagged for two instances of unsportsmanlike conduct—including one where he used a gun gesture to celebrate a touchdown.
The Browns are headed to Pittsburgh for Round 2 on Sunday, with kick off from Acrisure Stadium set for 1:00 p.m. EST.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Greg Newsome Has Final Word on George Pickens Smack Talk Ahead of Browns-Steelers.
