PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens played just the third-most snaps of any wide receiver in the 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III each outperformed Pickens, who played just 34 of a possible 58 snaps, while the other two played 47 of a possible 58 snaps.

Pickens wore black eyes with the words “Always (expletive) open” during the game. Head coach Mike Tomlin explained that there was no deeper story behind it; Instead, the team tried to get more out of Pickens in limited moments.

“We just wanted to minimize his reps to increase productivity,” Tomlin said. “We’re just trying to manage people with the bigger picture in mind. He was no less central to our intentions of what we wanted to do offensively.”

Tomlin would then compare that to Cam Heyward and his reduced snap count. The Steelers shut down multiple players at once, with Najee Harris missing a drive and Pat Freiermuth doing the same elsewhere.

“It’s nothing more than us minimizing some snaps from D-linemen like Cam Heyward,” Tomlin said. “It’s all about snap management. To be completely honest, there is no underlying story.”

Heyward played a total of 55 snaps on the night. After the game, Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis called Pickens “weak” and stated that the Steelers needed another wide receiver.

The Steelers have been in trade talks for weeks about a wide receiver who would work with the Pickens to strengthen their offense across the board.

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