In the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat to the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is facing scrutiny from the NFL for a provocative message emblazoned on his eye black. The phrase, “Open F—ing Always,” written in silver, has sparked a review by the league to determine if Pickens violated the NFL’s uniform policy.
According to Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8, players are strictly prohibited from displaying personal messages without prior approval from the League office. This rule has been enforced in the past, resulting in fines for players who have attempted to convey messages through their attire.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin claimed ignorance of the message, stating, “I’m not aware of any issue with George’s eye black. His effort on the field was not a concern for me.” Pickens, who played a career-low 34 snaps on Sunday, declined to speak with the media following the game and was unavailable during Monday’s open locker room session.
The NFL is expected to disclose any fines related to the incident in its weekly game-day accountability report, set to be released on Saturday. This is not the first time the Steelers have faced fines for similar infractions. In 2015, defensive lineman Cam Heyward was fined for paying tribute to his late father with an “Iron Head” message on his eye black. That same week, running back DeAngelo Williams was fined for wearing eye black that read “Find the Cure” in honor of his mother and aunts who had passed away from breast cancer. Defensive back William Gay was also fined that week for wearing purple cleats to raise awareness for domestic violence.
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