No offense to Allen Robinson, but his purpose in Pittsburgh has been lost on Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.
When the Steelers traded for Robinson in April, not only were they desperate for a slot receiver — one they hadn’t had since the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster — but they were looking for veteran leadership in the form of a mentor for the room of young wide receivers.
“He’s been phenomenal for our room as far as helping the maturation process of George (Pickens) and all of the guys,” wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson told TribLive’s Joe Rutter in August.
Mike Tomlin intentionally paired Robinson with Pickens in the training camp dorms at St. Vincent College, hoping the two would create a bond. Robinson was once in Pickens’ shoes: A second-round receiver with loads of talent who was more concerned with individual numbers than helping his team win.
Now, 10 years into his career, Robinson sings a different song.
“I want to win,” he said via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. “I am at the point where ego and different things like that are out the window. Whether it is a big task or a small task, I treat them all equally. Whether it is getting targets, catches, or blocking — whatever I can do to help this team is what I want to be able to do.”
It’s too bad Robinson hasn’t been able to impart that on Pickens.
Unfortunately, lack of leadership has been an issue this season and will continue to be going forward. Johnson, the most experienced Steelers draftee and eldest at 27, doesn’t have leadership chops. It’ll be interesting to see how the Steelers attempt to remedy it.
As for the slot role, that hasn’t turned out as expected either. Robinson’s best outing came in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens with 29 yards on five receptions (nine targets). But that largely falls on poor quarterback play and Matt Canada’s inept offensive scheme.
It’s safe to call the Allen Robinson Experiment a miss and head back to the drawing board.
#Steelers Allen Robinson talks w George Pickens about creating winning habits-discusses the decision not to block in Warren run v Colts pic.twitter.com/sIjcuDd8GP
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) December 20, 2023
