Kenny Pickett to George Pickens: Inside the Steelers growing rookie connection
Moments after George Pickens’ viral draft-day video began lighting up social media, his own phone buzzed.
It was Kenny Pickett.
The rookie quarterback and wide receiver were part of the same group that visited the Detroit Lions during the pre-draft process, attending meetings, doing interviews and sharing a group chat. So when both players were drafted by the Steelers in consecutive rounds, Pickett already knew Pickens — and, more importantly, had his number.
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Officially, that FaceTime call will go down as the first ever Pickett-to-Pickens connection.
“I think I was one of the first to talk to him,” Pickett said. “We had a great relationship starting then, and I think that it’s just grown since.”
By drafting Pickett in the first round (No. 20) and Pickens in the second (No. 52), the Steelers intrinsically linked the quarterback and receiver. Their individual successes or shortcomings have been, and will continue to be, the result of this growing symbiotic relationship. What’s good for Pickett is good for Pickens, and vice versa.
Pickett to Pickens. #HereWeGo
📺: #PITvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/5bVODjrAl5 pic.twitter.com/GflKhZPf6B
— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2022
While the quarterback said he has not yet gone down to the Strip District to snag a cheap Pickett-to-Pickens t-shirt, he’s well aware of how important this dynamic is to the Steelers’ offense.
“I think (chemistry) shows up in the big-time moments, right?” Pickett said. “Those timing routes, where sometimes you’re throwing guys open. They may not look open to the naked eye. But with the reps and the confidence that I have that they’re going to be where I want them to be, and they know that they’re going to get the football, it kind of comes together that way.
“I was able to build that with Jordan Addison at Pitt. The countless hours that we worked together, that all adds to it. We’re trying to play catch-up here in between periods and working on getting it. I think we’re definitely taking the right steps towards that, but it takes time and a lot of reps together.”
For the new Steelers duo, the getting-to-know-you process began when they were in college. As Pickett was rewriting Dan Marino’s records at Pitt, he took notice of the top talents around the country. The QB became well aware of the Georgia receiver with a catch radius that felt like a Madden glitch. Later, they met at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
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“Just crazy impressed with the kind of talent that he is,” Pickett said. “I was always just like, man, I’d love to play with a guy like that on the outside.”
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Soon after Pickett learned he’d have that opportunity, the two players attended the NFLPA Rookie Premiere in Los Angeles. Pickett began to get a feel for the receiver’s goofy personality and freakish measurables. Pickens, meanwhile, was struck by the QB’s charisma … and the blond hair flowing out under the brim of his backward hat.
“He’s always had that swagger,” Pickens said. “You see the hair, like he already got the swag. He already got that type of competitiveness … I’ve always felt like he’s been a great player. I’ve always felt like he had a grittiness to him. That’s the first thing I fell in love with is just hard, tenacity. He don’t never quit, which is what I love.”
Find you that Kenny Pickett & George Pickens kind of Love #HereWeGo #steelers pic.twitter.com/YYxAFgZhne
— Dee #sportsncoffee (@DeeLovesSports) October 4, 2022
Because Pickett went through training camp at Saint Vincent College as the third quarterback on the depth chart, the on-field development of their relationship would have to wait. In Pickett’s words, he tried to “steal” some reps off to the side. But rarely were those two together during 11-on-11 portions of practice.
As the season began, Pickett toiled on the scout team the first four weeks of the regular season, and Pickens got off to a somewhat slow start. The rookie receiver made just five total catches in the first three weeks, with Mitch Trubisky playing quarterback. (Even so, one of those five was a catch-of-the-year candidate.)
Then the quarterback change happened. Almost from the moment Pickett supplanted Trubisky in the middle of the Week 4 game against the Jets, Pickens’ production picked up. The rookie receiver eclipsed the 100-yard plateau for the first time in his career during that game against the Jets, highlighted by grabs of 26 and 27 yards from Pickett. In total, the rookie quarterback has targeted Pickens 41 times for 27 receptions, 395 yards and two touchdowns.
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“We’ve been kind of connected since he first had his opportunity,” Pickens said. “Me and Kenny have always been cool. Now it’s just sustaining it.”
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While Diontae Johnson is still Pickett’s most-targeted receiver, with 34 receptions on 57 targets, Pickens has emerged as the big-play threat. He has produced the most yards and touchdowns of any player catching passes from Pickett.
During Monday night’s win over the Colts, the chemistry-building process took another step forward, in more ways than the stat sheet can tell. Yes, there were the highlights. Pickett showed trust in his receiver when he put the ball up for grabs along the sideline and Pickens snared it for yet another viral moment.
Pickett ➡️ Pickens@Steelers rookies 🔥
📺: #PITvsIND on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/PvpVdrwXpl pic.twitter.com/galgDujsso
— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2022
Really though, in some ways, the blemishes (and the way they both responded) reveal more about this connection. Pickens, who seemingly makes the extraordinary look routine and the routine look tough, later dropped a third-down pass over the middle. This came in the midst of the Steelers’ early second-half struggles, contributing to their second consecutive three-and-out.
He also had a drop near the sideline. The two miscues came after QB and receiver just missed connecting for a would-be touchdown in the first half, as Pickett slightly overthrew Pickens and the receiver couldn’t make a one-handed grab.
On the sideline, Pickett and Johnson had some words with Pickens to keep him encouraged.
“He’s a great player,” Pickett said. “I’m going to miss throws, and guys are going to drop passes. We’re going to rally behind each other and just get right back to it. I told him, I’m going to keep throwing him the football.”
Lots of emotions on the @steelers sideline in Indianapolis as #Pickens #Pickett and #Johnson work through things and get things corrected. @PghSteelersNow (Ed Thompson/Steelers Now) pic.twitter.com/cjt3U15T9Q
— Ed Thompson (@ThompsonFoto12) November 29, 2022
Sure enough, after the Steelers’ 16-3 halftime lead evaporated into a 17-16 deficit, Pickett produced his first signature moment in the NFL. He led the offense down the field on an 11-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with the eventual game-winning touchdown.
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The possession was jump-started on third-and-9, with the Steelers’ offense facing the possibility of a third consecutive three-and-out to start the second half. Instead, Pickett maneuvered to his left to buy time, drilled a 13-yard pass to a sliding Pickens over the middle and then absorbed a hit to tack on another 15 yards for roughing the passer.
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After backup running back Benny Snell burst into the end zone on third-and-goal from the 2 (a play that Pickett himself lobbied to run), the quarterback again showed his faith in Pickens. When the two-point play broke down, Pickett scrambled to buy time and found Pickens in the corner of the end zone.
Pickett and Pickens picked a good time for this two-point conversion 😏
📺: #PITvsIND on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/PvpVdrwXpl pic.twitter.com/Tk0VqDWclf
— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2022
It was the latest, but surely not the last, Pickett to Pickens connection.
“I feel like we’re coming together,” Pickens said. “The more time we have, we’re closer. We’re going to bond, just naturally. There’s not going to be no, ‘Gotta do this more,’ or, ‘Gotta do that less.’ It’s gonna naturally happen, just the closer we are and the more time we have. We’ve got a few more games left. Now we’re starting to get the rhythm of it. And then next year, we can improve a lot.”
(Photo: Zach Bolinger / Associated Press)
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