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It’s all going down in Pittsburgh. Back-to-back losses coupled with their WR George Pickens’ no-show performances have turned a rather good start into an average one. And talking of Pickens, he’s not helped himself by constantly playing tug of war with the NFL rules. That’s what we saw against the Cowboys when he painted a message on his eye black, reading: “Open F—–g Always.”

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So, what’s the deal with the rule violation? Glad you asked. Turns out, Pickens may have fumbled the playbook on NFL Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8. The league doesn’t exactly smile on players wearing personal messages unless they’re pre-approved by the higher-ups.

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The rule bans, “Wearing, displaying or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such a message has been approved in advance.” No exceptions, and in Pickens case, dropping F-bombs has only landed him in trouble.

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And what’s even more interesting is that Pickens claimed he did not know about such a rule. Ignorance is surely not bliss in this case. “Never seen it before, have you?” But when reporters brought up Cam Heyward’s “Iron Head” eye-black fine from 2015, Pickens had his response locked and loaded: “When I wasn’t in the league? So, naah!”

Now, Cam’s message was a heartfelt tribute to his late father. And Pickens’? Well, he was firing back at his head coach’s habit of laying things bare during pressers. If that tribute got a fine, was anyone really expecting Pickens to get off scot-free? Of course not. And, as it turns out, he didn’t.

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But wait, there’s more. The eye-black drama wasn’t the only highlight for Pickens against the Cowboys. Oh! No—he got into it with the opposition’s cornerback, too. When you’re not making plays on the field, I guess you scramble for attention in other ways, right?

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George Pickens lost the mind games!

George Pickens had a rough outing against Dallas. It was the kind of day that’ll have frustrations boiling over, and trouble knocking at the door. The Cowboys held Pickens in check all game, and as the final whistle blew on their 20-17 win over the Steelers, cornerback Jourdan Lewis made sure to rub it in. Ah! Ol’ funny banter goes every time.

Lewis, who had a big hand in limiting Pickens, said it’s all about breaking the other guy’s will. And when Pickens yanked Lewis down by the facemask out of sheer frustration, it showed. “That’s what football is about,” Lewis said, adding that he relishes getting chippy with opponents. It’s a game of toughness, and on this day, Pickens wasn’t winning that battle. Aside from all the unconventional Ws he got.

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Now, here’s the real kicker: even with fewer snaps, Pickens still led the Steelers with seven targets. But with only 26 yards to show for it, it’s hard to make a case for yourself. To add to the never-ending list of mares, Lewis had the last laugh as he ended his night saying: “George Pickens’ weak.” Ouch, right? That’s gotta sting, especially when Pickens is seeing teammates like Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin get more snaps while producing less.

After back-to-back losses, Pittsburgh needs to figure things out fast before their matchup with the Raiders. As for Pickens? He’ll be aiming to catch more passes—and definitely fewer jabs—next time out.

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Syed Talib Haider

1,219 Articles

Syed Talib Haider is the NFL Editor at EssentiallySports with over five years of experience as a sports beat reporter. He began his journey at the outlet covering the NFL, steadily building a strong readership for his in-depth reporting on major events, most notably as a senior writer during Super Bowl LIX, where his coverage helped capture the immediacy and drama of the game. His work during that season led to his promotion to the editorial desk, where he now oversees NFL coverage and guides the outlet’s strategy.

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Garima Yadav

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