Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 season is getting underway after the team finished above .500 but failing to make the postseason last year, we turn our attention to the next chapter of Steelers football and everything that entails. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on more specific contexts as we get into the season, reflecting more immediate plusses and minus rather than trends over long periods. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: WR Calvin Austin III
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: A week after showing that he is capable of delivering the big play on offense as a wide receiver, second-year Calvin Austin III also proved that he can do it on special teams as a punt returner, creating yet another path down which he can contribute to the team early.
Calvin Austin III entered this offseason something like Schrödinger’s Receiver. Since we never got to see him last year as a rookie due to a foot injury, he was both a weapon and not a weapon. Yes, he timed fast coming out of college. But would he be fast coming off his foot injury? And even if he is, can he contribute?
Well, with only the most minor of hiccups along the way, the former Memphis Tiger has continued to prove himself over and over again. The first step was getting back to football activities. The next was delivering.
He had a rough first day of training camp, but it’s been nearly all positive since then, best exemplified by the plays he’s contributed in the first two preseason games. It started with a 17-yard jet sweep and then a 67-yard touchdown on a deep pass, showing that he can win with speed in multiple ways and track the ball down the field.
On top of that, he added another dimension last week with his dynamic work in the punt return game. Granted, the punt itself and the blocking gave him the window he needed, but he still did a great job carving out a 54-yard return.
Importantly, the offense followed it up with a quick 25-yard touchdown strike on the very next play. That shows just how important having a player like Austin back returning kicks could be. If he can provide that kind of spark that comes along with an impact play and great field positioning, it’s just as impactful as a long reception.
Sitting behind Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Allen Robinson II at wide receiver, Austin proving that he can also make a difference in the return game gives him another way to contribute to the Steelers’ cause without waiting in line. If he even has to wait in line at all.
