Done Deal: On National signing day, Pittsburgh Steelers welcomes A $700 Million all star player from...

On Pittsburgh’s second possession against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren took a pitchout and swept left. Linebacker E.J. Speed tackled Warren from behind at the 1-yard line as the ball-carrier tried to get past cornerback Jaylon Jones.

Pittsburgh wide receiver George Pickens stood and watched instead of blocking Jones, although Pickens did hop over Speed as he tumbled across the turf.

Pickens’ effort on the play has unleashed a torrent of criticism on the former Hoover High School star.

“I was just trying to prevent the Tank Dell situation,” Pickens said on Tuesday, “the same thing that happened to (him). I ain’t want to get an injury. When you stay on the block too long, you can get ran up on very easily.”

A former Alabama A&M wide receiver, Dell had his rookie season with the Houston Texans ended when he suffered a fractured fibula in a goal-line pileup against the Denver Broncos on Dec. 3.

Pittsburgh scored from the 1-yard line anyway after Waddle was tackled but lost to the Colts 30-13.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin spent a large portion of his Wednesday press conference addressing the situation. Asked if Pickens would be disciplined, Tomlin said: “Not that I’m going to discuss with you guys.”

Tomlin said Pickens would play in Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals “because he’s got talents. We want to utilize them. He’s very much in growth and development. But it would be the very same if we were winning games or he said appropriate things with you guys yesterday. You guys might have gone away, but that wouldn’t have made me any more comfortable about this process that he’s going through that is ongoing and continual, and it will continue to require our attention.

“And so I don’t respond to momentary bumps positively or negatively of things that are going on. I’m just acknowledging it is a process and our posture based on present circumstances or incidences that occur positively or negatively won’t change. We’re coming to work every day in that regard just like we’re coming to work in regards to football. And part of it is education. I want him to understand that as well. When you’re winning and doing your job, a lot of the attention and so forth is on things such as that. When you’re not doing your job and losing, you better keep your damn mouth shut and understand that attracts a certain type of attention as well, and usually that’s vulture-like attention.”

Saturday’s non-block isn’t the first time this season that Pickens has been called out in the media. He’s seemed frustrated on the field at times with the Steelers’ struggling offense and drew criticism from not blocking in 21-18 loss to the New England Patriots on Dec. 7.

Pickens said the outside criticism doesn’t bother him.

“All the people that’s questioning my effort, they don’t play football,” Pickens told reporters. “They do what y’all do. All the people that got opinions, they’re media, surface guys. None of them play football.”

Pickens joined Pittsburgh from Georgia as a second-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. He had 52 receptions for 801 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie. This season, Pickens has 52 receptions for 814 yards and three touchdowns.

Tomlin said players come to the Steelers with different levels of ability and maturity on and off the field, and the Pittsburgh staff is committed to helping them develop in all areas.

“George is a talented guy, but he’s growing,” Tomlin said, “and growing in a lot of ways in regards to football and life. We don’t run away from that. We run to that organizationally. When we draft guys, we’re committed to being a component of their growth and development in all areas. As I mentioned earlier this week, he is very much a work in progress. It is continual. It’s not going to be one incident or one meeting or one form of discipline that’s going to institute the type of change we’re hunting, to be quite honest with you. It is going to be continual. He is aware of that. We meet on a routine basis. We met last Wednesday, he and I. We met again today. …

“I would like him to be more professional in terms of addressing some of his shortcomings with you guys to further add fluidity to the process. He’s not helping himself, he’s not helping the process in the manner he’s dealt with you guys. But the manner in which he deals with you guys is not necessarily the way he deals with us or himself regarding acknowledging where he is and where he needs to go. …

“Largely, I like to keep his growth and development and the things regarding his growth and development private, to be quite honest with you. Talking about it in this setting doesn’t aid in the process or speed up the process. But rest assured there is a commitment not only from us but from him in terms growing as a man and a player.”

The Bengals and the Steelers will square off in an AFC North game at 3:30 p.m. CST Saturday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

Cincinnati has surged into playoff contention with three consecutive victories, with two in overtime, to reach 8-6 with three games left on their regular-season schedule.

In contrast, Pittsburgh’s playoff chances are dimming after three consecutive losses, with two to two-win teams, to fall to 7-7.