PITTSBURGH — George Pickens was not on the field after suffering a hamstring injury late in the week. Just a week after Pickens got nabbed for two unsportsmanlike penalties, he was fined $20,462 for both fouls.

So, with Pickens standing on the sidelines as an inactive player, tight end Pat Freiermuth decided to give Pickens a fun tribute by punting the football into the stands after his touchdown. That is what Pickens did after he scored his touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals last week.

“Someone had to get fined,” Freiermuth said. “It was a pretty good punt. I was a punter in high school. It was a pretty good punt. It had great hang time. It went to the second level.”

No one knew that Pickens was inactive until it was revealed. Freiermuth found out by text from his father. Meanwhile, others, such as Scotty Miller, had to scramble to prepare for the game. Miller was still in street clothes 90 minutes before kickoff.

Freiermuth is now on a hot streak himself, and the tribute to Pickens is a touch that Freiermuth thought up on the fly. He has a touchdown in two straight games and is becoming a featured part of the offense.