Tim Benz: Mike Tomlin's answers about George Pickens raise more questions

During Tuesday’s season-ending press conference, I asked Steelers coach Mike Tomlin if it was a priority for the franchise to get wide receiver George Pickens a contract extension in the offseason.

He didn’t say, “Yes.”

Instead he said: “We haven’t had any conversations about pecking orders or priorities regarding any individuals contractually. It’s just — we’re not there yet, and I don’t know that that’s going to transpire this week. We’re just still assessing what transpired in 2024. Those are more 2025 things.”

I asked the question that way for a very specific reason: If Tomlin wanted to answer in the affirmative, it’s very easy to do so. If Tomlin wanted to say that it is a priority, all he had to say was, “Yes.”

In fact, oftentimes, one-word responses are Tomlin’s favorite ones to give.

Wow, look at me doing Mike Tomlin a favor! How about that!?

Simply saying, “It is a priority,” wouldn’t have been locking himself into saying it was a guarantee to happen. He would’ve just been saying that the team was going to try hard to extend Pickens.

Tomlin didn’t have to call him the “main” priority. Or a “top priority.” Or rank him in front of, or behind, getting the quarterbacks resolved or extending T.J. Watt. He just had to say that extending Pickens was an important part of the team’s offseason plan.

If it actually is.

But Tomlin didn’t say that, did he? In fact, he didn’t come close.

Hey, I prefer Tomlin speaking around the question as opposed to flat-out lying. He could’ve just said, “Yes” and not meant it.

The absence of what Tomlin avoided saying in this case, though, is much more important than the words he actually did speak.

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Pickens is the team’s only viable, starting-caliber wide receiver. He is their only top-notch threat on offense. He had 900 receiving yards and 59 catches while missing three games. The only other player close to him at the position was Calvin Austin at 548 yards on 36 catches.

In any other situation, it would be comical to think of calling Pickens’ contractual situation anything but a “priority” to resolve.

However, because of all of Pickens’ off-field (and occasionally on-field) shenanigans, the wisdom of locking him up to a multi-year extension in the neighborhood of $30 million per season has to be brought into question.

For as fervent as Tomlin has been in defense of Pickens over his three years in Pittsburgh, Tomlin did acknowledge that Pickens still has a long way to go in terms of maturation.

“There’s a lot of room for growth there. I think he covered some ground in 2024, but there’s certainly a heck of a lot more ground to be covered, and we’ll see where it leads us,” Tomlin said. “I’m always concerned about the growth and development of individuals, whether it’s skill relative to the positions that they hold, professionalism, maturity, or combinations of all of the above.”

The latest such Pickens-related sidebar is that, according to The Athletic, the 23-year-old was reportedly so late to Acrisure Stadium on Christmas Day that the inactive list for the game against the Kansas City Chiefs had to be turned in before he even got into the building. Yet, he dressed and played anyway.

I asked Tomlin if there was any truth to the story.

“That’s a few days back. I really don’t know that I have the answer to that to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin replied. “I’ve got a lot going on pregame. I can’t answer that definitively.”

One of three things can be read into that:

A) Tomlin was unaware that there was a story published about the incident and was not ready to comment.

B) Tomlin was completely unaware of the incident itself.

C) Tomlin knew about the incident and didn’t want to give it any more legs, so he downplayed it as much as possible.

Alex, I’ll go with choice “C” for $1,000.

None of the three are a great look for Tomlin. Either he was oblivious to the publication of a significant story or the fact that his star wide receiver was late to a game.

Or he is totally aware of both; he’s covering for Pickens (again) and decided not to discipline him.

But that’s Pickens pushing his coach and his organization into a corner for about the 20th time over his first three years in the league.

You honestly don’t think behavior like that is going to get better once he gets a truckload of guaranteed money over multiple years, do you? He acts entitled now, and he has barely earned anything yet. Plus, he hasn’t made a dime of guaranteed cash on his second contract.

Imagine how he is going to act when the team actually has to cater to him and his cap hit. That’s the problem with this Pickens situation.

• Can’t extend him because he’s going to be unbearable if he gets an extension.

• Can’t go into training camp without an extension because he’ll be unbearable without an extension.

• Can’t trade him because he’s your most talented player at an already thin position, and you’ll never get equal value.

I guess I’ll go with “C” again, Alex, for another $1,000.

I’d rather risk that than give Pickens $30 million.

Based on some of his responses Tuesday, I’m starting to wonder if Tomlin is finally beginning to think the same way.

LISTEN: Tim Benz and Chris Adamski discuss Mike Tomlin’s season ending press conference