Celebrating in style in the NFL may put a major dent in a player’s bank account. Just ask Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens, who was fined over $16,000 for merely pointing his finger at Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle during the two AFC North rivals’ Week 16 matchup at Acrisure Stadium (h/t Nick Farabaugh of Steelers Now).
Pickens, who signed a four-year, $6.75 million contract with the Steelers in 2022, had a fantastic game against the Bengals, finishing with 195 yards and two touchdowns on four catches and four targets from quarterback Mason Rudolph. Pickens has 1,009 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 56 total catches this season.
The excellent Steelers wideout has already received a fine from the NFL. It should be noted that he was required to pay $8,525 for taunting during a Week 7 road game against the Los Angeles Rams. What’s notable about that is that Pickens was fined for taunting despite not being penalized for it during the competition. In addition, he was penalized an additional $8,525 for a blindside block in the same game.
Pickens can’t be sidetracked by his latest fine, no matter how costly it is. The Steelers will face the Seattle Seahawks on the road this Sunday. The Steelers are still in the AFC postseason battle, with similar 8-7 records to the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals.
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