When training camp kicks off at the end of July, numerous players are going to be fighting for their NFL lives. Rosters will be trimmed down from 90 to the league-mandated 53 along with the practice squad, meaning dozens of players will need to prove something to the coaches to keep their jobs.
However, there are still several players on every roster who are safe from getting cut, but still have something to prove. Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report recently came out with a piece highlighting seven sophomore players that have something to prove in 2023 training camp. Kicking off the list was none other than Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin III.
“Calvin Austin III was one of the most electric athletes in the 2022 draft class, but he never got a chance to show what he can do in his rookie season,” Ballentine wrote of Austin. “The fourth-round pick suffered a season-ending foot injury before the season ever started. The 5’9″, 160 pounds, Austin is a size outlier, but his 4.32 speed has helped him make an impression with his teammates and stand out at OTAs. He even drew praise from Patrick Peterson for his speed, which is impressive given the veteran cornerback ran a 4.34 40-yard dash once upon a time.
While shining in OTAs is nice, training camp will tell the real story for Austin. With more full-contact work, he will prove he deserves a role in the offense.”
For all intents and purposes, Austin is entering basically his rookie season, only having participated in a handful of training camp practices before undergoing season-ending foot surgery and missing the entire 2022 campaign. He has yet to record a preseason catch, let alone see any regular season action, suggesting that he has quite a bit to prove having been on ice for an entire year.
While you can’t do anything about unfortunate injury luck, Austin is a player that Pittsburgh sorely missed last season, one who could make a big impact on the offense in 2023. His speed, explosiveness, and ability to generate splash plays nearly any time he touches the ball gives the passing game a weapon they don’t have in Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Allen Robinson II when it comes to a legit speed demon/YAC daddy. He also is the perfect candidate to run those jet sweeps Matt Canada loves to incorporate into his offense, having far more juice and vision as a runner than Gunner Olszewski or Chase Claypool showed while attempting to fill that role.
While Austin may not receive a ton of touches in Pittsburgh’s offense this season, he will most certainly have a role and hopefully provide and element that the Steelers haven’t had in awhile when it comes to splash plays. Now it’s Austin’s job to not only remain healthy in training camp, but also show he can make an impact in his first real action with the team in 2023.
