Pickens says he was unaware of eye black rule

PITTSBURGH — Speaking for the first time since the Sunday night loss to the Cowboys, Steelers wide receiver George Pickens dismissed questions about the explicit message on his eye black and the postgame incident with Dallas defensive back Jourdan Lewis.

Pickens wore eye black that read “Open F—ing Always” for the game, and after a game-ending, failed hook-and-lateral attempt, Pickens yanked Lewis down by the face mask as Lewis ran by him and appeared to say something.

“It’s just eye black,” Pickens said when asked if there was a purpose behind the message. He said “No” when asked if he expected blowback from it and shook his head to a question about hearing from the NFL about a fine or internal consequences.

The NFL is expected to review Pickens’ eye black for a potential fine because it’s a violation of the league’s uniform policy, which prohibits personal, unapproved messages displayed by players during games, a league source told ESPN.

Pickens said Thursday he was unaware of the policy.

“Never seen it before,” he said. “Have you seen it before?”

When it was pointed out that teammate Cameron Heyward had been fined in 2015 for writing his late father’s name on his eye black, Pickens was dismissive.

“Years ago?” he said. “When I wasn’t in the league? So, nah.”

And asked what happened with Lewis after the game, Pickens said: “Nothing.”

Pickens was also asked about the Steelers’ snap-management strategy, which coach Mike Tomlin said was why his top receiver was limited to a career-low 34 snaps — just 59% of offensive plays — against the Cowboys.

“I think it was part of the game plan,” he said. “That was pretty much it.”

Asked what he could do to increase his workload, Pickens deferred to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

“It’s not on me,” he said. “It’s all up to Art.”

In his Thursday afternoon availability, Smith reiterated that Pickens’ decrease in usage was indeed part of the game plan against the Cowboys and not unlike strategies he used with other players in his coaching career.

“You’re going into any game plan, certain players and how we package things you’re trying to maximize snaps,” Smith said. “Different lifetime, but certainly done it with other premium players. Done it with Derrick Henry. He wanted to be out there to play, and he wasn’t out there in all the third downs and he got plenty of touches. Did it with A.J. Brown, early, certain things and trying to mix and match and maximize things or set things up.

“[Pickens] is still, I believe, depending on what metric you’re using, seventh in targets in passing downs or passing opportunities in the league. So I get it, you lose a game, and something may look off or whatever, but that’s not — and then we communicate to any player, whether it’s Scotty [Miller] or Van [Jefferson] or Connor Heyward, guys know the roles. You got to know the backups and how you package things. Those are week-to-week things. That’s the best way I can answer it.”

And though Pickens was spotted throughout Sunday’s game displaying signs of exasperation as he slammed his helmet on the sideline and looked despondent on the bench, Smith said he didn’t sense any annoyance from the third-year wide receiver over his reduced role.

“I didn’t sense any frustration from the snap count,” Smith said. “I think anytime, as long as I’ve been in the NFL, everybody handles emotions different, trying to win games, but I didn’t ever get that sense.

“… He’s an emotional guy. He does that every game. Maybe he’s just high-profile. There’s so many cameras out there, it’s like you’re working in ‘The Truman Show.’ I don’t know what the camera shows, what it doesn’t. I’ve certainly been guilty regretfully showing frustrations at times calling a game or at an official, which was not what you want. But some of that stuff, I’ll be honest, I don’t even pay attention to it. You’re just so hyperfocused on trying to make adjustments and win the game.”

Asked whether he believed he was handling the ebbs and flows of a game better this season, including instances of questionable penalties called against him or plays that didn’t come together, Pickens put the onus on the officials.

“I wouldn’t really say that,” he said. “That’s all on the refs. So that should show you where the refs are this season.”

Quarterback Justin Fields is also part of the corps trying to keep Pickens positively engaged throughout the game by encouraging him, something he says is possible because of the relationship they began forming playing 7-on-7 together in high school.

“If I would’ve just met him this year, I probably wouldn’t feel as comfortable saying that to him,” Fields said. “But since our relationship does go all the way back to high school, I think I’m more comfortable talking to him and stuff like that and kind of just trying to keep him calm.”

Quarterback Russell Wilson said the Steelers “love the player” that Pickens is.

“We love the competitor that he is and that’s the thing that you have to understand,” Wilson said. “Is George a bad teammate? Absolutely not. Is George a hell of a player? Absolutely. Is he a great competitor? Absolutely. Is he a guy that wants the ball? Absolutely. Is he a guy that can do anything on the field that most people can’t? Absolutely.

“So, I think the best thing that we can focus on is find different ways to get [him] the ball, obviously also to him staying composed, that matters — but also understanding that it’s all team effort.”