George Pickens is ready to return to the field.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ top receiver has been cleared from the injury report and is ready to play in the Christmas Day game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pickens has missed the past three games due to a hamstring injury, during which the Steelers went 1-2 and struggled to maintain their offensive explosiveness.
In the last three matchups, quarterback Russell Wilson averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt, while Pittsburgh totalled only 167.7 yards per game. While the offensive issues can’t be attributed solely to Pickens’ absence, his sidelining has undoubtedly contributed to the team’s struggles. In the six games prior, with Pickens on the field, Wilson averaged 8.7 yards per attempt and the offense gained 271.0 yards per game.
Having lost two consecutive games, Mike Tomlin’s squad is at risk of losing the once-comfortable lead they held in the AFC North. Pittsburgh (10-5) currently holds the tiebreaker over the Baltimore Ravens (10-5), but Next Gen Stats give the Steelers just a 39% chance to claim the division, compared to 61% for the Ravens.
With the hope that Pickens’ return can help spark the offense, the Steelers will aim to keep their AFC North dreams alive against a tough Chiefs defense.
In other news, backup quarterback Justin Fields is considered questionable due to an abdominal injury. The Steelers, on the other hand, have officially ruled out wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip) and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) for the upcoming game.
