Batko: Zach Azzanni Isn’t ‘Taking It Easy’ On George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a change with their wide receivers coach this offseason, letting Frisman Jackson go and hiring former Denver Broncos wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni. Azzanni has a reputation as a hard-nosed, no-nonsense coach, and by all accounts, he’s living up to that reputation in Pittsburgh. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko on The North Shore Drive podcast, Azzanni isn’t taking it easy on any member of the wide receiver room, from rookie Roman Wilson to veteran No. 1 receiver George Pickens.

“They aren’t taking it easy on [Roman Wilson]. They aren’t taking it easy on [George] Pickens, either. I don’t think based on his saying, everything’s right there for him. All the talent in the world, he just needs to go grab it, essentially. You do want to see that work ethic improve from year to year.”

Azzanni said that Pickens has to “take the cheese” and that Ray Charles can see how much talent he has (a truly great line, by the way). But that’s not going to come by letting him coast, and I personally feel that a big reason why the Steelers made a change with their receivers coach was to get the most out of Pickens.

Azzanni is someone who is going to be hard on his guys because he knows how they operate, and he knows that’s what’s going to get the most out of it. He said his approach is to hit guys between the eyes, and it’s an approach that’s been praised by both Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson. In a receiver room that doesn’t have proven talent outside of Pickens, it’s important to work to get the most out of everybody.

That includes Pickens as well, even as the clear-cut No. 1 receiver on the team. Last season, his attitude made headlines in a negative way, with his effort questioned on multiple occasions. Under Azzanni, it doesn’t seem as if that should be a problem, and if it is, then the Steelers have bigger problems at hand with Pickens. It’s good to hear that Azzanni isn’t letting him coast and is making things hard on him because it’s only going to make him a better player and someone who can really maximize his talents.

Pickens just has to listen to what Azzanni has to say and embrace his coaching, and so far, there haven’t seemed to be any issues between the two of them. It’s still early, but the hiring of Azzanni has been one of my favorite moves the Steelers have made due to his attitude. He seems to be someone who can really elevate the ceiling of Pittsburgh’s wide receiver room, and that includes potentially turning Pickens into one of the top receivers in the league.