Steelers could pair concerning George Pickens report with another doomsday signing

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was the primary cause of some sleepless nights for Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff this season. As talented as Pickens is, he can march to the beat of his own drum. For example, Pickens was reportedly late to the Steelers Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tomlin had asked all players to show up two hours before the game for a walkthrough, but Pickens did not oblige. He went unpunished, frankly because the Steelers don't have many options behind him on the depth chart. Pickens played in that Christmas game and was blamed by fans for a backbreaking interception thrown by Russell Wilson.

Tomlin has sent Pickens mixed messages through the media, suggesting he had to 'grow up' following a Week 13 game against the Bengals in which he was flagged twice for unsportsmanlike conduct. Pickens responded by not showing up on time against the Chiefs and, in the final game of the season against Cincinnati, was seen yelling at Steelers fans in Acrisure Stadium.

The last thing George Pickens needs is another bad influence on the Steelers

As you can see, it's been a rough season for Pickens off the field. On the gridiron, he's shown plenty of potential, blossoming into the Steelers No. 1 option. However, that won't lead to consistent winning if he doesn't better learn to express himself, especially on the sideline. This leads us to a natural pivot in Diontae Johnson.

The Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers last offseason, and he was subsequently sent to the Ravens midseason. Johnson was disciplined in Baltimore and waived, where he signed with Houston. Are you sensing a theme here?

Had Johnson not caused a stir on his way out of Pittsburgh, there's a chance a return to the Steel City would be on the table. He succeeded there once before and the Steelers still don't have a No. 2 wide receiver.

While Mark Kaboly eventually suggested otherwise, the idea that Johnson was a negative influence on Pickens gained some traction prior to the Steelers trading him. An idea like that typically has some backing, but here is what Kaboly had to say:

"I don’t buy that at all. Too many people had red flags on Pickens before he was drafted to pin anything on Johnson. Johnson was traded because he was heading into the final year of his contract, he wasn’t going to be re-signed and he felt the Steelers’ quarterback situation wasn’t going to put him in the position to cash out on another contract next year," Kaboly wrote in The Athletic.

True or not, a Johnson return wouldn't do the Steelers much good. WR2 is an obvious hole, and they need to do better than a familiar face if they are to contend in the AFC North next season. Otherwise, another early playoff exit (at best) awaits them, along with more Pickens frustration