The Pittsburgh Steelers organization has done plenty of work to address the team’s issues since the season ended. However, the work isn’t done yet. When the Steelers traded WR Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, they left a gaping hole on the depth chart opposite George Pickens.
Calvin Austin III knows that there is an opportunity ahead of him, and he’s planning on working very hard to make the best of it. He conducted an interview from the barber chair with the YouTube channel ChoppingItUpWithSwish, and he spoke about his desire to become more than just the fast guy.
“In a broad sense, my goal is just to be a playmaker,” Austin said. “Real deal, show what I can do every time and anytime the ball in my hands… I want to real deal put that time, that work in to where when I’m going into camp, I’m gonna dominate, you feel me? Because I did everything, I put in all the time, resources, effort, and I’m real deal prepared.”
Austin returned to the field in 2023 after missing his entire rookie season due to a Lisfranc injury sustained during training camp that he re-aggravated in October. He suited up for every game but only had 17 catches and one touchdown reception. However, he averaged 10.6 yards per reception, demonstrating his ability to gain yardage with the ball in his hand.
That’s of no surprise to anyone who’s seen Austin play in person, especially at the University of Memphis. He played four years there, and the Tigers got him the ball in multiple ways. That’s because if he had the ball in his hands, he could find big plays and the end zone.
Austin caught the ball 156 times for 2,541 yards and 22 touchdowns for a stellar average of 16.3 yards. The Tigers did not hand the ball off to Austin very often because he was so effective in the passing game, but he had eight carries for 169 yards and three rushing touchdowns (an average of 21.1 yards per carry). Austin also returned 29 punts for 323 yards and two touchdowns, an average of 11.1 yards in college.
The knock against Austin? His size. When Steelers Depot scouted Austin ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, his size was arguably the biggest issue he had coming out of college. It’s why he was available in the fourth round of the draft despite his stellar production.
That’s why plenty of people only see him as WR3 or WR4 on the Steelers’ depth chart. However, if he can put that work in as he says he is going to and consistently produce with the ball in his hands, can he be more than that?
Well, head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t going to overlook anyone in his pursuit of talent at the wide receiver position. At the league meeting, he talked about not overlooking potential playmakers at wide receiver simply because of “preconceived notions” about their size or how they win. Could that mean Tomlin would be willing to take a long, hard look at Austin despite his size?
If Austin can put the work in he is talking about and dominate at training camp this summer, maybe he can challenge everyone’s preconceived notions about what a star wide receiver can look like.
You can watch the entirety of Austin’s haircut and thoughts below:
