Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens Fined $20,461 for Explicit Message and Facemask Penalty

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens has been fined a total of $20,461 by the NFL for his actions during the team’s Week 5 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

One fine, amounting to $10,231, was for displaying an explicit message on his eye black. Pickens wrote “Open F***ing Always” on the strip of eye black he wore during the game, which violates NFL rules that prohibit players from wearing, displaying, or conveying personal messages without prior approval from the league office.

In addition to the fine for the eye black message, Pickens was also fined $10,230 for unnecessary roughness. This penalty was incurred when he dragged Cowboys defender Jourdan Lewis down by his facemask at the end of the game.

Pickens claimed he was unaware that the message on his eye black violated league regulations. When questioned about the incident, he stated, “I’ve never encountered this before,” and seemed to downplay the significance of the message.

The fines mark the first disciplinary actions against Pickens this season, but they come amidst reports of other behavioral issues, including showing up late for work on multiple occasions. Despite these challenges, the Steelers are hoping for a strong performance from Pickens in their upcoming game against the Las Vegas Raiders.