What happened to George Pickens? Why is Steelers WR not playing vs. Ravens today?

As the Ravens and the Steelers faced each other on Saturday for a top-of-the-table AFC North faceoff, George Pickens was standing on the sidelines. Pittsburgh's top wide receiver was missing in action as his teammates tried to cement their record atop the division and add another successful chapter to this rivalry.

George Pickens has 850 receiving yards this year. The Steelers have 2,785 in total. That means that the wide receiver has been responsible for nearly a third of the output through the air. Hence, he was a big miss against the Ravens and we explore the reason why.

What happened to Steelers WR George Pickens?

George Pickens last played on Dec. 1 against the Bengals but has not taken to the field since. He was listed on the injury report with a hamstring issue in Week 14 and had missed two weeks straight prior to this. He was eventually ruled out for this game too with the same concern.

He reportedly did not practice all week but was seen doing some solo exercises, which could indicate that he might be getting close to a return.

The last time the Steelers and the Ravens faced each other, Pittsburgh won thanks to multiple turnovers by Baltimore and the wide receiver having a productive outing. George Pickens picked up 89 yards in eight carries for an average of 11.1 yards.

Steelers' defense also facing defensive injury struggles against Ravens

Missing George Pickens was bad enough but he was not the only one out with a hamstring injury. Safety DeShon Elliott was also ruled ineligible for this game with the same issue and things turned from bad to worse during the match.

Joey Porter Jr. suffered a calf injury in the first half and spent significant time getting attended to. He was eventually ruled questionable to return and it further depleted the Steelers' secondary against an offense led by Lamar Jackson.

It was a sad sight to see in such a historic rivalry that has connotations beyond pride. If Pittsburgh wins tonight, it gives them the division and the home advantage in the Wild Card round. If Baltimore can get a win, they tie their opponents atop the AFC North with all to play for in the coming weeks.

With players getting injured, it was left to those standing to make sure that they played their best. That was the case in the first quarter as both teams scored a touchdown and their defenses forced turnovers.