Steelers training camp: Things get chippy between George Pickens, Joey Porter Jr. in practice Friday

LATROBE, Pa. — George Pickens generated headlines last season by bulldozing unsuspecting defensive backs. Pickens did so again on Friday, but this time, it was done at the expense of one of his teammates. 

It occurred during the second half of Pittsburgh’s second training camp practice. Pickens was being guarded by rookie second-round pick Joey Porter Jr., who absorbed a body shot from Pickens on a curl route. To Porter’s credit, he quickly got up to corral Pickens after catching Kenny Pickett’s pass. 

Adding insult to injury was the fact that Pickens ripped off Porter’s chain during the collision. That may have led to the chirping that took place between the two after the play. Porter was overheard saying “I got something for you” to Pickens, via Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. 

It’s safe to say that this matchup will be one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. And while it probably wasn’t his favorite part of practice, Porter shrugged it off before signing autographs for some of the fans who made their way to Saint Vincent College to watch practice. 

Competition is something the Steelers‘ brass anticipated seeing during camp, and Friday’s battle between Pickens and Porter was an example of that. Everyone is competing for something, whether it’s a starting job, a spot on the 53-man roster or even a practice squad spot. For Porter, he’s trying to earn a starting job while getting adjusted to covering NFL receivers. From that standpoint, he’s in an ideal situation considering that he gets the chance to go up against Pickens and former Pro Bowlers Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson on a daily basis. 

What shouldn’t be lost from Friday’s practice was Porter having an otherwise solid outing. He’s been in the middle of several incomplete passes while at times showing the poise of a veteran player. 

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Other than his knockdown of Porter, it was a mostly quiet afternoon for Pickens, who was unable to pull down what would have been a score during the open play of Seven Shots. While Porter and Johnson have been quiet, fellow wideouts Robinson and Calvin Austin III have made several impressive catches during the opening days of camp.