Well, it seems like George Pickens wasn’t lying when he said he’s open “99% of the time.” In the closing minutes of the first quarter of Pittsburgh’s “Thursday Night Football” matchup against the Browns in Cleveland, the Steelers rookie wideout turned in his early submission for catch of the year.
On a second-and-3 play from the Pittsburgh 46-yard line, quarterback Mitch Trubisky rolled out to his right and launched a pass down the right sideline in the direction of Pickens. The ball came down toward the sideline at around the Cleveland 22-yard line and Pickens was able to bend backward and extend one hand out to secure the catch over Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. It was a reception that’s reminiscent of Odell Beckham Jr.’s infamous one-handed grab as a member of the New York Giants in 2014.
That catch put the Steelers inside the red zone and would set up a Najee Harris 5-yard touchdown that evened the score at 7-7. That catch was also Pickens’ second of the day and his 34 yards receiving is already a career high with two games already under his belt.
The rookie was selected in the second round (No. 52 overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Georgia where he helped the Bulldogs win a national championship. After turning heads with a highlight-reel preseason, Pickens is now starting to make an impact in the regular season.
KVSP