George Pickens' latest comments make clear that Steelers WR is beyond help

No Pittsburgh Steelers fan in their right mind would be able to discredit what wide receiver George Pickens is capable of on a football field. The former second-round pick in his third season is by far the Steelers' leading receiver this season, his 850 yards through 12 games doubling up his next closest teammate in terms of production.

What can be called into question, however, is the antics that come along with Pickens' stellar play. Whether it was fighting with Browns CB Greg Newsome II instead of fighting for a game-ending Hail Mary pass, his celebrations drawing flags, or just his general enigmatic behavior, it's becoming an issue.

Case in point, Pickens was flagged twice in Pittsburgh's shootout win over the rival Bengals in Week 13 for unsportsmanlike conduct, both for celebrations. While he argued that one was simply calling for a first down, he did so with the "finger guns", which is an instant flag in today's NFL. The other was somehow more obvious, dropping the ball on a downed-defender's chest.

But hey, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers have dealt with headaches at wide receiver for more than a decade. They'll figure this out, right? Well, if Pickens' latest comments are any indication, there might not be a cure for his antics coming any time soon.

George Pickens is making it impossible for Steelers to trust him

Following the two penalties and somehow avoiding being ejected in light of that last week, Pickens was asked about what he could do differently to avoid flags. His response seemingly took no inkling of accountability while the receiver appeared to try and make himself the victim of unfair treatment, per 93.7 The Fan:

"I'm out here making plays, doing the same celebrations that every other receiver is doing. So, I'm not sure."

His elaboration on that didn't make it any better:

"When you are playing hard and the league has a target on your back. I'm not saying 100 percent, but you possibly could get flags. I'm just out playing like every other receiver."

It's maddening, whether you're a Steelers fan or not, to see a player of such immense talent blatantly refuse to admit his mistakes and what can be fixed. Yes, other receivers are flagged for celebrating — but not as consistently as Pickens and not with his growing list of other problematic antics as well.

What makes it worse is that it's hard to see where to go from here when it comes to helping Pickens. If a player isn't even willing to admit he's doing anything wrong, then it stands to reason that he doesn't believe there's anything to fix. It might be obvious to everyone else, but not to him.

Again, we've seen Tomlin and the Steelers organization handle these things with the likes of Antonio Brown and, to a lesser degree, JuJu Smith-Schuster, among others. Pickens, however, might be a different case entirely. But as he'll enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2025, his maturity or lack thereof will make conversations and negotiations for his return to Pittsburgh fascinating to monitor.