"It's not about you:" Former Steelers great offers WR George Pickens a piece of advice
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The smile, the blocks, and of course, the Super Bowls - all of it made Hines Ward a legend in Steeler Nation.
However, the Steelers' leader in yards, catches, and touchdowns had some sage advice for the next generation, specifically, second-year receiver George Pickens.
Rumors have been swirling since the victory on Thursday Night Football that the young talent is unhappy. His stat line against Tennessee was two catches for -1 yard and following that, he had briefly scrubbed mention of the Steelers from his Instagram profile as well as putting out cryptic messages on his social media pages.
"George, he's just young," Ward said during a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports. "Extremely talented. Wants the ball. It's not a bad thing. I love receivers who want to impact the game, but also, you have to keep everything in perspective and understand that it's not about you. There's a lot that goes on in the passing game. You may be wide open, but protection breaks down and the quarterback has to scramble and you never got that opportunity because of that.
However, he has since walked back his posts and cryptic messages saying, "assumptions over a picture that has nothing to do with [football], ya'll need urgent care."
Ward, however, was direct with his words.
"You just have to be mindful, be careful because you can't make it all about George Pickens," he said. "You've got to make it about the Pittsburgh Steelers and the reason why we have six Lombardi trophies in that building. It wasn't just about one player, I can guarantee you that."
You can check out Hines Ward's full conversation with CBS Sports at this link!