In the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded away wide receiver Diontae Johnson and placed George Pickens in the No. 1 receiver role. Last season, Pickens led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and tied with Johnson in receiving touchdowns. Now that Johnson is part of the Carolina Panthers, Pickens has taken on an even larger leadership role on offense. Instead of leading vocally, Pickens plans to lead by example.
During OTAs, Pickens stated, “I lead by example. Whatever I’m doing outside on the field I think the guys are gonna follow.” The reason for trading Johnson was due to issues with effort on the field, something that Pickens has also struggled with in the past. It is hoped that taking on this new role combined with better quarterback play will help Pickens bring more consistent effort and maturity to his game. This story was originally featured on Steelers Wire.