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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Allison Koehler

Steelers WR George Pickens is now a hostage, not a volunteer

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens went through a rollercoaster of emotions following his negative-1-yard performance on Thursday Night Football.

On Friday, Pickens wiped his Instagram account of all things Steelers and posted a meme with the words “free me,” now some images are back and the meme removed.

But the meme got me thinking: As the ol’ Mike Tomlin saying goes, he wants volunteers, not hostages. And free me sure sounds like words a hostage would use.

From Le’Veon Bell to Antonio Brown and Chase Claypool and Melvin Ingram, Tomlin has jettisoned plenty of hostages in his 17-year career. Something tells me he’ll hold onto this one as long as he produces. And clearly, the Steelers need to devise a way to do that on a more consistent basis.

It appears with Pickens that when things are great, he’s happy. But when he doesn’t get looks, he’s gonna create a scene. Typical wide receiver actions. Every time Tomlin rids the team of a me-first receiver, he drafts another. It’s cyclical, just like the player’s attitude.

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