George Pickens reportedly gets in heated exchange with WRs coach in Steelers camp

The Pittsburgh Steelers began training camp on Wednesday at Saint Vincent College, and the opening stanza of their season is already off to a tumultuous start.

The Steelers renovated their offensive unit this offseason in hope of a brighter future. Along with bolstering the offensive line, general manager Omar Khan restocked the quarterback room with the addition of two veterans Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Even the offensive staff features some new faces.

Pittsburgh's most glaring hole on offense is their wide receiver depth. Third-year wide receiver George Pickens has established himself as the clear No. 1 option, but there is little depth on the roster behind him. That could be worrisome for Pittsburgh, especially if Pickens proves to be unreliable.

George Pickens drama has already begun for Steelers

Steelers receivers coach Zach Azzanni and Pickens got into a heated exchange late in practice o Thursday when Azzanni didn't like the way Pickens performed on a play, according to Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

Fittipaldo reported that Pickens "didn't take kindly" to the criticism and some of Pittsburgh's other receivers had to approach the "visible upset" wideout to settle things down following the exchange.

Azzanni replaced former receivers coach Frisman Jackson this offseason, and he's hoping to get the best out of Pickens as concerns regarding the receiving corps continue to rise. Earlier this offseason, the team traded Diontae Johnson to the Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson. There were reports that the Steelers were worried about Johnson's negative influence in the locker room, especially for Pickens.

Pickens was selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He has flashed the potential to become one of the best wide receivers in the league. Pickens notched 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, despite subpar performances from the quarterback position. Still, there have been lingering concerns about his maturity.

The Steelers are no strangers to controversial wide receivers. Although the story of Antonio Brown's meteoric rise and subsequent nosedive is well-known, he was just one of many Pittsburgh wide receivers that were traded due to sideline outbursts, locker room arguments, contentious contract disputes, or off-field issues. Along with Johnson, the recent list of disgruntled Steelers wide receivers includes names such as Hines Ward, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Chase Claypool.

Pittsburgh will just have to hope that Pickens ends up more like Larry Fitzgerald than Antonio Brown, especially when their next best options are Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, and Scotty Miller.