Steelers’ George Pickens Fined by NFL for ‘Open F–king Always’ Message on Eye Black Against Cowboys
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was fined $10,231 by the NFL for displaying a “personal message” on his eye black, as reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
During the Steelers’ 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, Pickens’ eye black featured the phrase “Open F–king Always.”
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor had previously reported that the league was reviewing the message for a potential violation of its uniform policy.
According to the NFL rulebook, players are prohibited from “wearing, displaying, or conveying personal messages in writing or illustration unless approved in advance by the League office,” as noted by Pryor.
Pickens stated he was unaware of this policy, saying it was “just eye black” during a press conference on Thursday.
Brooke Pryor
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George Pickens expressed he didn’t know about the NFL’s uniform policy against unapproved personal messages. When reminded that Cam Heyward had been fined for writing his father’s name in his eye black, Pickens replied, “Years ago? When I wasn’t in the league? So nah.”
It was an expensive week for Pickens, who was also fined an additional $10,230 for grabbing the facemask of Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis at the game’s conclusion (per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones). Lewis received an $11,255 fine for taunting Pickens before the incident.
In the game against Dallas, Pickens was targeted seven times, catching three passes for 27 yards, and played only 34 snaps, the fewest of his career.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin downplayed Pickens’ limited playing time. “As I mentioned after the game, that’s just a snap management thing to enhance productivity based on analytics throughout a 17-game schedule,” Tomlin explained on Tuesday, via Pryor.
Prior to the quiet outing against Dallas, Pickens had a strong start to the 2024 season, recording 20 catches for 284 yards in the first four weeks. However, he has yet to score a touchdown this season after catching five in 2023.
