Will WR Calvin Austin III step up in his third season with the Steelers?
You may have a hard time finding anybody who doesn’t think the Steelers need help at wide receiver. Outside of third-round pick Roman Wilson, they haven’t made any significant additions this offseason. There is reason to believe, however, that they seriously explored other options without pulling the trigger. One wonders what role Calvin Austin III plays in all of this.
A 2022 fourth-round draft pick, Austin is going into his third season, but second on the field. He spent his rookie year on the Reserve/Injured List and failed to capture an extended role in 2023. Yet with both Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson II gone from last season, there are plenty of snaps available.
That’s one theory, at least, but under Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, there may be fewer wide receiver snaps. He runs more heavy sets than just about everybody and only somewhat rarely has three or more wide receivers on the field at the same time. In other words, Austin may need to find himself in two-receiver packages.
Going against him is his size. At 5-9, 162 pounds, Austin is one of the smallest players in the league. And let’s just say that there were certainly times last year where he probably wished he were bigger. But he also surely wished he had a better offensive coordinator—and a better quarterback.
In part, perhaps, the Steelers simply didn’t know how to use Calvin Austin under Matt Canada. Perhaps QB Kenny Pickett didn’t know how to find him, other than that early 72-yard touchdown. He tried the same connection a couple weeks later, if I recall, and threw an interception.
I don’t know what expectations the Steelers have for Austin this year. Personally, I doubt that they’re counting on him for all that much. I’m not necessarily convinced he has a roster spot locked up, though he did return punts in 2023. But perhaps Smith and company feel they know how to use him. Perhaps they feel Russell Wilson will know how to find him as their top deep target. Perhaps they already have the wide receiver many think they’re looking for?
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wild Card Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
