Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens could be fined in the coming days.
The NFL is investigating the explicit message Pickens wrote on his eye black during their 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.
Pickens had the phrase “Open F***ing Always” written in silver on his eye, black for the match at Arcisure Stadium. While it is likely the explicit nature of the eye black that prompted the league’s review, NFL rules state that players are prohibited from “wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages, whether written or in illustration, unless such message has been previously approved by the League’. office.”
“I don’t know what reports you’re talking about about his black eyes,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday when asked about Pickens via ESPN.
“I have no problem with his efforts.”
If Pickens is indeed fined, it is expected to be announced Saturday among the other fines handed out by the league.
Pickens has 310 receiving yards and has not scored a touchdown in five games this season, his third with the Steelers. However, the 23-year-old played a career-low 34 snaps in the loss to the Cowboys, and he had just three catches for 26 yards. Pickens’ low snap count was due to a snap management strategy, Tomlin said Tuesday. Pickens was also seen pulling Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis down by the face mask after the game.
Although he doesn’t want to talk about it publicly, Tomlin said he has spoken with Pickens about that incident and more privately.
“They’re definitely things that I’m open to and want to do and do,” Tomlin said. “I’m just not going to go into detail about it, and in circumstances like this, because it’s between him and me in terms of his growth and development as a player and as a man. I just don’t think it helps to understand that growth and the development.” I am aware of that in open situations like this, and that has obviously been addressed and will continue to be addressed.”
