Featured

Steelers' George Pickens raises eyebrows over postgame handshakes with Chiefs stars

Chiefs topped the Steelers 29-10

Pittsburgh Steelers exposed: Contenders or Pretenders? | Speak

Joy Taylor breaks down the Pittsburgh Steelers' recent struggles and evaluates whether they are true contenders or pretenders in the playoff race.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens raised eyebrows on Wednesday when he congratulated Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce following a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mahomes and Kelce joined Netflix’s Stacey Dales to talk about the team’s 29-10 win. 

Mahomes had 320 passing yards and three touchdowns while Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown and hit the 1,000-career receptions mark during the game.

George Pickens and Justin Reid

Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid (20) hits Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) during the second half Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in Pittsburgh.  (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

As the two star players were talking, Pickens interrupted the interview to give his respect.

The move sparked a debate among fans. Some praised Pickens for good sportsmanship while others were cynical and thought it was a signal from the wide receiver to the Chiefs star to influence a trade at some point in the future.

CHIEFS CLINCH NO. 1 SEED, FIRST-ROUND BYE IN PLAYOFF WITH DOMINANT WIN OVER STEELERS

Pickens had three catches on seven targets for 50 yards.

George Pickens and Travis Kelce

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) embrace after a game Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in Pittsburgh.  (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

The wide receiver has been a source of consternation over the course of the season. He got into a fight with a Cleveland Browns player on one of the last plays of the game in their matchup last month. He was then flagged for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about Pickens’ antics earlier this month.

"I’m not going to give you any detail about what goes on behind the scenes in terms of his growth and development," Tomlin said. "That’s my style, and I’m going to be really consistent in it. Being transparent with you guys doesn’t necessarily help or accelerate the growth process, and that’s my agenda, not necessarily feeding the beast."

George Pickens and Joshua Williams

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) makes a catch against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the second half Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in Pittsburgh.  (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Wednesday’s game was Pickens’ first season the Bengals. He had been battling injuries.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

Authored by Ryan Gaydos via FoxNews December 25th 2024