Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is not exactly set up as the odds-on favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award this season, even if he exited the preseason with the best odds to do so. It hasn’t been for a lack of playing time—he’s logged 78 percent of the offensive snaps, nearly 500 in total—but there remain factors outside of his control.
He has made plays, of course. Chances are he already has at least one or two plays that would make any NFL 2022 recap highlight reel. But his rookie season has been one of stops and starts, games that were hoped to be the ‘breakout’ giving way to a lackluster follow-up.