The NFL’s most fined team has been dinged again. This time, it was George Pickens who received a letter from the NFL requesting money after the Steelers‘ receiver was fined for taunting during Pittsburgh’s Week 16 win over the Bengals.
Pickens was fined $16,391 for pointing in the direction of Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie at the end of his third quarter score that stretched Pittsburgh’s lead to 31-8. The Steelers prevailed 34-11 and in the process kept their playoff hopes alive.
The fine on Pickens was the 28th fine of the season “awarded” to a Steelers player, according to Spotrac. This is Pickens’ third fine of the season. He was fined for taunting and for a blindside block during the Steelers’ Week 7 win over the Rams.
While he certainly won’t like losing money, Pickens would likely take a fine over the issues he was dealing with leading up to Pittsburgh’s win over Cincinnati. The second-year wideout was the center of the Pittsburgh news cycle after his effort on two plays during the Steelers’ Week 15 loss to the Colts was called into question. The issue magnified after Pickens justified his actions by stating that he wasn’t trying to get hurt.
Those problems evaporated into the Pittsburgh winter air after Pickens’ big game against the Bengals. The former Georgia Bulldog had his best game as a pro with four grabs for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Pickens and the rest of the Steelers’ offense will try to duplicate their success against last week against the Bengals this Sunday in Seattle against the Seahawks.
