Lately, you can’t go a day without hearing about Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin. Whether it’s the buzz on him reportedly making plays during OTAs or the general excitement of having a quasi-draft pick back in the fold for 2023, a speedster and potential playmaker who missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury. For a guy who hadn’t hit the field for months until OTAs began, the Steelers are kind of getting to know Austin all over again.
For WRs Coach Frisman Jackson, he and the offense have been using the last few weeks to figure out Austin’s role within the offense. As RB Najee Harris teased yesterday, the Steelers have been moving Austin around the formation, something confirmed by Jackson in speaking to reporters today.
“We’re still massaging his role,” he told reporters via the Steelers’ PR department. “We’re putting him in different places, just finding out what he’s good at. Just trying to find a natural role for him and using his strengths and his talents to exploit the defense. So we’re still massaging that out.”
Tuesday, Harris expanded a touch on how the team is using Austin, making a note about him being used in the backfield. We won’t be able to detail specifics of Austin’s alignment and assignment until next month when we’re at training camp but it certainly seems like they’re deploying Austin on every inch of the field. At his core, he’s an NFL slot receiver, but he played on the outside in college and was occasionally used in the run game with three touchdowns on just eight career carries. Those included two long scores, one off a jet sweep and another off a reverse. It’s an aspect of his game the Steelers are likely to continue utilizing.
Still, the Steelers will have to toe the line between creatively using Austin and having a definitive plan. As Dave Bryan has pointed out, you don’t want the Dri Archer “flashing red light” that puts defenses on high alert when Austin steps on the field. Austin is also a far more defined receiver than Archer was and he can make traditional wide receiver plays. He shouldn’t just be a gadget guy.
And of course, Austin still has to earn his keep on the field. Starting in the preseason, he must make plays that compel the Steelers to design things for him. With plenty of talent at the skill positions, there’s no guarantee over how many snaps Austin will play. That’ll be dictated by the impact he can make and that starts this year.
