Football players go through impressive workouts to get ready for NFL Sundays. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens proved on December 17 that NFL players can do that even while recovering from injuries.
Pickens performed an individual workout at Steelers practice on December 17 according to multiple reporters. The workout Pickens went through left a lot of those reporters, including Steelers insider Mark Kaboly, in awe.
“This is what a Grade 2 hamstring strain looks like from an athletic freak,” wrote Kaboly on X (formerly Twitter).
Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders wrote on X that Pickens returned to some applause from his fellow Pittsburgh receivers.
“Steelers wide receiver George Pickens back at practice today, returning to some applause from Scotty Miller,” wrote Saunders.
PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh took it as a significant positive that Pickens was back on the field.
“Now here’s a good sign on Tuesday … George Pickens getting some work in,” wrote Farabaugh.
According to the Steelers official injury report, Pickens didn’t practice on December 17. But most of the team’s injured players didn’t officially participate in Tuesday’s practice just a day after head coach Mike Tomlin expressed an optimistic injury update.
It’s important to note too that Tuesday’s session was just a walkthrough for the Steelers anyway.
Steelers George Pickens Aiming to Return vs. Baltimore Ravens
Without Pickens in Week 15 versus the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers only mustered 107 passing yards. That was a season low.
Pickens has missed the past two contests, and the Steelers failed to reach 150 passing yards in both games. Previously, 172 passing yards was Pittsburgh’s lowest total in a game where Russell Wilson started.
Clearly, the Steelers miss Pickens, who leads the team with 55 catches and 850 receiving yards. He has nearly twice as many receptions and 400 more yards than any other Steelers wideout this year.
The Baltimore Ravens are ranked second-to-last in passing defense this season. But that low ranking is due in large part to the first half of the season. Baltimore’s pass defense has been a lot better over the past month.
On November 17, the Ravens held the Steelers to 181 passing yards with Pickens on the field. Pittsburgh desperately needs Pickens to return in Week 16 to have the best chance of securing the AFC North title with a win.
T.J. Watt Also Sidelined at Tuesday Practice
The only player on Pittsburgh’s Week 16 injury report who practiced — in limited fashion — was defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. Edge rusher T.J. Watt, cornerback Donte Jackson and quarterback Justin Fields all left Week 15 with injuries and didn’t participate in the team’s first practice this week.
Safety DeShon Elliott, who missed the game like Pickens did, didn’t practice either.
But again, they only missed a walkthrough. On December 16, Tomlin wouldn’t rule out any of those players for the Ravens matchup.
Tomlin told reporters that Watt walking around on December 16 left him encouraged. Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen expressed the same idea to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on December 17.
Queen also conveyed confidence in the Steelers edge rushing depth.
“Would I love TJ out there? Hell, yeah, who wouldn’t? But we got guys,” Queen told Pryor. “Whoever goes in the game, we got the most confidence in to go out there and get the job done.”
The Steelers have four players with at least 4.5 sacks. But Watt leads the team with 11.5 sacks and 27 quarterback hits. He also has a league-high 18 tackles for loss.
Pittsburgh can clinch its first AFC North title since 2020 with a victory against Baltimore. With those stakes, one has to imagine every player who can dress will on December 21.
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