Steelers WR Under Fire, Bad Arthur Smith Take
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting out the final dead period before they head to Latrobe, Pennsylvania to spend one month together at Saint Vincent College for training camp. From there, they head into the 2024 campaign, but before anything, they'll wait, watch and listen to every hot take in the book.
The latest two revolve around their top wide receiver and their offensive coordinator. Both are going to be crucial pieces to the Steelers success this season, and have been praised heavily during the offseason. But now, they're being criticized, and the takes are coming with a complete 180-degree switch.
Only days after being named the Steelers most under-appreciated player, George Pickens is being put on the hot seat as they most overrated name. A wild turn of events for the star wideout, and one outlet believes that heading into year three, Pickens should already be a superstar - even while acknowledgeding the flaws the Steelers have presented to him on offense.
Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is also under fire. The Steelers upgraded over Matt Canada by hiring the former Atlanta Falcons head coach, but what he brings to the offense isn't suiting for everyone.
One outlet had one of the most eye-catching references to use when describing Pittsburgh's new offense. It's worth acknowledging for how out there the hot take is, but when it comes to whether or not it means the Steelers are going to fail, it doens't hold up.
The gameplan this year might not be for Pickens to catch 15 touchdowns or for Russell Wilson to be NFL MVP. It might be more run-heavy with a backfield by committee. But the Steelers are worried about one thing and one thing only - winning. Smith brings an offense that can win.
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NOAH STRACKBEIN
Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.