After getting himself into some trouble during the Week 13 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens will be lighter in the wallet.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the league announced on Saturday that Pickens has been fined $20,462 in total ($10,231 each) for the two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties he picked up in the win over the Bengals last week.
Pickens was flagged for both violations. The first was for taunting after a catch in the first quarter, and the other was for his finger gun celebration after a 46-yard reception later in the game.
Pickens later denied that he intended to do finger guns, and went on to say that officials admitted they were wrong. Clearly the league did not agree with that.
“He just thought the gesture was different,” Pickens told reporters after the game. “I was just doing a first down [celebration]; he thought it was something else.”
The second penalty was particularly costly, as it moved the Steelers back from the 13-yard line to the 28-yard line, and kicker Chris Boswell had a field goal blocked just four plays later. Pittsburgh managed to overcome Pickens’ earlier infraction.
Head coach Mike Tomlin was none-too-pleased with Pickens’ antics and said that his No. 1 wide receiver needs to “grow up.”
“You just have to grow up, man,” Tomlin said of Pickens. “It’s an emotional game. These divisional games are big. He has a target on his back because he’s George. He understands that, but he has to grow up. He has to grow up in a hurry.”
These aren’t the first fines Pickens has been given this season. The last one came for his grabbing the facemask of a Washington Commanders defender in Week 10. With the two latest fines, Pickens is down nearly $58,000 in all this season.
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