Dispelling a ridiculous George Pickens myth that will only hurt his reputation

As a Steelers fan, I know all too well how George Pickens body language can impact an already-challenge offense. Just last season, Pickens and fellow wide receiver Diontae Johnson were called out for showing a lack of effort on specific plays. Mike Tomlin even spoke to Pickens in his office about it. Evidently they had a good conversation.

However, there's a difference between reality and a truly outlandish take. 'Jersey Jerry' of Barstool Sports claimed Pickens showed up just 10 minutes before kickoff of the Steelers game against the New York Jets in October of 2022. That certainly would've received more national coverage at the time, and Pickens would've been fined by the team, if not called out by Tomlin publicly.

Per 'Jersey Jerry', Pickens blamed traffic for the incident. Jerry also claimed Pickens scored a touchdown that day. This would be pretty major news even a few years after the fact were it true. Unfortunately for Jerry, this theory was quickly debunked.

George Pickens rumor is quickly debunked by Steelers insider

First, Pickens didn't score a touchdown against the Jets in 2022. Pro Football Reference exists, friends. Second, Alan Saunders of Steelers Now did some digging, and found multiple team photos of Pickens before the game thanks to team photographer Karl Rosner. The photos show Pickens warming up with the team, which would have been close to an hour before kickoff.

Pickens was fined $200,000 for violating team rules in 2023, per Saunders. However, there is little evidence of him causing a scene, or showing up late to a game, in 2022. This is important information for multiple reasons.

First, Steelers fans have enough to worry about with Pickens. The only thing standing in the way of Pickens talent and a lucrative contract extension is his attitude and execution. Assuming Pickens keeps his head on straight, he should be in for a big year with even marginally-better quarterback play.

Second, stories like this one -- especially those that are quickly proven false -- are bad for Pickens. Barstool Sports may not be the Associated Press or ESPN, but it's still a news source that sports fans (many times blindly) trust. They ought to be held to the basic standard of truth if they're reporting information that could harm Pickens reputation.

Pickens can be a headache at times and immature at others. Stories like these will only hurt his chances at receiving the contract he covets.