What’s up With George Pickens Wearing Two Mouthpieces? Style Statement or Safety Move?

Whether you’re a fan of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens or not, one question that likely pops into your mind every time you see him on the field is: Why does he have two mouth guards dangling from his helmet? One is understandable, but two? What could possibly be the reason, especially since the equipment isn’t even required by the league? Maybe one’s for protection and the other’s a backup?

But Pickens isn’t the only one rocking the double-mouth-guard look. Keon Coleman, Dyami Brown, and Nate Wiggins have also been spotted wearing two different-colored mouthpieces. So what gives? Why two guards, Pickens? Here’s what we found out

Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hasn’t publicly revealed the reason behind wearing two mouthpieces, but speculation suggests he does it partly as a fashion statement or to keep up with a growing trend, and of course, for safety. You might remember back in December 2024, he rocked a pink and blue mouthpiece, prompting one Facebook user to joke, “Is he doing a gender reveal on the field?”

That same month, he switched it up to red and green, which immediately caught fans’ attention. Given the timing, many assumed it was his way of being festive for Christmas.

Since Pickens does use mouthpieces, it’s safe to assume protection plays a role, but it’s also likely he’s jumping on the two-mouthpiece trend, something other players have been spotted doing. Pickens seems to choose his colors based on the time of year or simply what he feels like mixing and matching. And it seems he may have even gotten his inspiration for sporting two mouthpieces from another big-name NFL player.

Although Pickens is getting a lot of attention for wearing two different colored mouthpieces, fans suggest he isn’t the one who started the trend. Many credit Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman for that. Coleman has been wearing different colored mouthpieces since college; he attended Michigan State University before transferring to Florida State University, and unlike Pickens, he actually has a strategy behind how he chooses his colors.

Coleman is widely known for attaching two mouthpieces to his helmet that match the opposing team’s colors. He likely does this as a form of psychological intimidation since he’s wearing colors that aren’t even his team’s. For example, he wore orange and blue during a game against the Florida Gators. In another college game at FSU, he rocked a red and green set of mouthpieces.

It seems Coleman, like Pickens, might also wear two different colored mouthpieces as a form of “drip,” which is just another way to refer to something stylish or a standout style, like a necklace or a clean outfit. In his case, it would be football fashion. In a September 2024 game, Coleman wore red and white mouthpieces, signaling he could have been repping his own team or, once again, using it as a subtle psychological tactic against whoever the Bills were playing.