Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin III made his long-awaited NFL debut this past Friday after missing his rookie season with a foot injury. Logging 27 snaps, he caught two passes for 73 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown, and added two rushing attempts for 23 yards.
It was a relatively full plate, all things considered, but he was not surprised by that, as he told reporters yesterday, via KDKA. “I could tell that it was gonna be an emphasis on me, so all I had to do was make sure I was healthy and play my part”, he said.
A fourth-round pick out of Memphis, Austin was drafted primarily due to his defining trait, which is his speed. Missing a year due to a foot injury certainly did not slow him down; or if it did, it still left him with plenty of speed to win on those go balls.
While he proved in the preseason opener that he is capable of being a contributor in this offense, it remains to be seen how large a role there is for him. The top three wide receivers on the team are Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Allen Robinson II, all of whom will need targets.
The Steelers also have depth at the other skill positions, with Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, and Anthony McFarland Jr. out of the backfield and Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, and Zach Gentry at tight end.
It’s a good problem to have if you have to figure out how you’re going to utilize somebody just because you have so many options to choose from. But what Austin does have is that burner speed, a dimension only he can fully add to the offense. Like the rest of the group, he brings a strong work ethic and desire to contribute.
“I did not miss one special teams [or] offense meeting”, he said, leading up to the first preseason game. “I was at every single one. They were constantly talking to me and stuff throughout. I really didn’t think about this upcoming year—my own focus was getting ready”.
The best thing he can do to set himself up for the season, of course, is to make plays during the preseason. He did that this past Friday. He will have another opportunity to continue to pad his resume on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh when the Steelers host the Buffalo Bills.
That should be a good test, depending upon whom Bills head coach Sean McDermott makes available for the game. He did play his starters last week, including CB Tre’Davious White, so hopefully they can give this offense a good challenge.
And hopefully Austin will get some looks with the first-team offense. That unit played but one drive last week, even if it was a 10-play touchdown drive. Robinson didn’t even get targeted before exiting the game with the rest of the first-team personnel.
