It may not seem like it, but WR Calvin Austin III is one of the longer-tenured players on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense at this point. He was added in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the same year that George Pickens was selected in the second round. Only Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth and Dan Moore Jr. have been around for longer on the offensive side of the ball as they continue to be one of the youngest groups in the NFL.
That’s why, along with some of his on-field goals, Austin has been focused on stepping into a leadership role this offseason. Jet24 Action News’ Ashley Kaiser asked him after the first day of training camp practice what he is hoping to improve on over the next few weeks of practice.
“Just continuing to build chemistry with the quarterbacks, showing my route creativity, and just being a leader for the offense and in the receiving room,” Austin told Kaiser in a video posted on her YouTube channel.
Last season was year two for Austin, but he was more or less a rookie after missing his entire first season with a foot injury. Veteran WR Allen Robinson II took Austin under his wing and poured into him as a mentor in the WR room.
During an appearance on The Arthur Moats Experience with Deke just ahead of the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, Austin expressed gratitude toward Robinson for giving him a “whole new outlook” on being a player in the NFL. For an offense that seemed to be lacking leadership, Robinson was a guy that multiple players pointed to as a leader in the room.
With Robinson off the roster, Austin is trying to step up into that role. It is an odd position to be in, trying to be a leader as just a third-year player, but that is what a young offense calls for.
According to rookie WR Roman Wilson, Austin is already being viewed that way. In an interview posted by Post-Gazette Sports on YouTube during spring practices, Wilson had this to say:
“Right now, the way I look at Calvin is he’s a veteran of the room. In my opinion, I feel like he’s more of the leader of the room.”
Along with his on-field growth as a player, this is probably one of the reasons Austin has received praise from countless players and coaches this offseason. The Steelers have always been an organization that values intangibles like leadership.
Justin Fields called him a “savage” with his route running, Russell Wilson said he has been “amazing” all offseason, and WRs coach Zach Azzanni said, “He’s been outstanding.” For a coach who is known for his tough-love style of coaching, that is noteworthy praise to receive.
Now, it is just a matter of putting it all together on the field. Reports indicate that the Steelers were enamored with Robinson’s blocking last year to the point where it became difficult for Austin to see the field, especially once Diontae Johnson returned from injury. The offense was also barely able to support two targets in the passing game, let alone getting a third or fourth receiver involved with sufficient targets.
According to Alex Kozora’s training camp diaries through two practices, Calvin Austin III is currently one of the top three receivers along with Pickens and Van Jefferson. He has almost exclusively been getting his looks in 11 personnel in the slot so far. Arthur Smith’s offense doesn’t use a ton of 11 personnel, so it will be interesting to see if his role expands beyond just the slot.
