Heading into 2023, one of the underrated position battles that doesn’t get much attention is the starting kick and punt returner job. Last season, WR Gunner Olszewski was signed in the offseason to be Pittsburgh’s clear starting kick and punt returner. However, Olszewski struggled to return to All-Pro form that he had in 2020, muffing crucial punts while doing a poor job of judging the coverage running down field and attempting to make returns that he shouldn’t.
Ultimately, Olszewski was taken off kick and punt returns completely by Week Seven, after returning eight punts for 55 yards (6.9 YPR) and three kickoffs for 46 yards (15.3 YPR), both career-lows. WR Steven Sims ended up taking his job and managed to produce some big returns on a couple of occasions, providing more stability and splash than Olszewski did in his opportunities.
Sims is now gone, having signed with the Houston Texans this offseason, while Olszewski is back in Pittsburgh, looking to earn back the return job. However, he has a new challenger for the job this season as WR Calvin Austin III is finally healthy after missing the entire 2022 campaign with a foot injury. While Austin has never played an NFL snap, preseason or regular season, and never returned a kickoff in college, he has the skill set of someone you want to put back there.
Austin is an explosive athlete, boasting 4.3 speed along with the shiftiness to make opponents miss in open space. He was a dynamic punt returner at Memphis, fielding 29 punts for 323 yards (11.1 YPR) and two touchdowns. Being Pittsburgh’s desired speed/deep threat, having Austin contribute that same game-changing ability on special teams is something that Pittsburgh would desire, having a guy back there who can hit the home run should the return get blocked up correctly, giving him room to run.
Olszewski mentioned earlier this offseason that he didn’t want to be handed the return job, like he was last season. Well, it appears that he’s going to get his wish as Austin is getting every chance to show that the kick/punt return job is his to lose. That speaks to the Steelers’ mindset as they don’t normally roll out inexperienced rookies to that position. Being that Austin never played last season, that shows a fair amount of trust in Pittsburgh that Austin can get the job done.
Another aspect to consider is the recent rule change impacting kickoffs in the NFL. Starting in 2023, all fair catches made by the kick return team come out to the 25-yard line. This will likely reduce the role of kick returners for 2023 and beyond, making it far less likely for teams to go ahead with a return if they are guaranteed to start at the 25-yard line. This works out in Austin’s favor as he doesn’t have any kick return experience in college or the pros but has proven to be a threat as a punt returner.
Ultimately, Austin must show he deserves the job this preseason by making a couple good returns while avoiding any costly mistakes. Should he do that, the kick/punt return job is likely his with Olszewski, lacking a purpose on the roster, probably getting his walking papers.
