An unexpected moment took place Thursday night as the Pittsburgh Steelers attempted to pull off a last-second win against the Cleveland Browns. Wide receiver George Pickens fought a defensive back instead of trying to find Russell Wilson's pass.
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A social media user posted a video on Friday that showed the Steelers' Hail Mary attempt. The majority of players on the screen moved around in the end zone, looking for the football. Pickens and Greg Newsome, however, moved out of the back of the end zone while fighting each other.
The two players fell to the ground while the Hail Mary continued. The Browns ultimately knocked the pass to the ground and ensured they would defeat their AFC North rivals.
George Pickens fighting Greg Newsome during the Hail Mary LMFAO pic.twitter.com/1QT1sN1w5o
— Clay Fink (@clay_fink) November 22, 2024
The two players were separated after the game. Cameras showed Newsome walking away while multiple people held Pickens in place.
Newsome appeared to weigh in on the discussion after the game. He posted a message on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that said, "Fake tough guy."
This is not the first time that Pickens and another player have been involved in an altercation on the field. Another example was the 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys when Pickens grabbed Jourdan Lewis' facemask after the final play and yanked him to the ground.
The referees jumped in and got involved before Lewis could retaliate against Pickens. The Cowboys defender had to settle for calling the Steelers receiver "weak" after leaving the field.
Another altercation took place after the 28-27 win over the Commanders. Wilson threw a deep pass in the direction of Pickens, but a Commanders defensive back intercepted it. He began running toward the opposite end zone.
The Steelers receiver did not give chase, however, as he grabbed Mike Sainristil and threw him to the ground. Pickens landed on top of Sainristil and took them both out of the play.
George Pickens funniest thing I’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/8mf4Hw8G7A
— Jake Malasek (@jakemalasek) November 10, 2024
"After the interception, guy tried to get physical with me," Pickens told ESPN's Brooke Pryor after the game. "A lot of guys like to do that, so I got physical back. That's pretty much it."
The NFL took exception to this altercation with Sainristil. The league fined Pickens $16,883. This was the second fine this season for an altercation. The league also fined him $10,230 for grabbing Lewis' facemask and throwing him to the ground.
