Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin III has had a good offseason, but there is always a lingering question. Even when he makes a play, people ask, “How much more can a 5-9, 162-pound player do?”. So far, the Steelers haven’t asked him to do very much, but he hopes that changes under Arthur Smith.
Last year, after spending his rookie season on the Reserve/Injured List, Matt Canada didn’t give Austin much variety. When he wasn’t running go routes, the Steelers kept him inside on underneath throws. But he expects that Smith will provide a lot more variety, and not just for him.
“Oh yeah, most definitely. Just more of a variety in the route tree, especially”, Austin said on the WDVE Morning Show. “I’ve always been preaching [that] I’m a true receiver, so to see just the different ways that Coach Smith uses guys and gets them into different packages and formations and stuff, I think it’s gonna be good for not only me, but all of us, because we have so many weapons at receiver and just on offense in general. Coach Smith is that guy that can use everybody in different ways”.
A fourth-round pick out of Memphis in 2022, Calvin Austin III played just 374 snaps last season despite playing in every game. His playing time dwindled as the year wore on, receiving an early bump due to Diontae Johnson’s early-season hamstring injury. A big 72-yard touchdown probably bought him some time, but eventually he lost favor in Canada’s offense.
The Steelers recently released their first official depth chart with Austin listed among the first-team personnel. They list 12 starters, including a fullback, though, with George Pickens and Van Jefferson the other receivers.
For obvious reasons I don’t think I need to get into, we can safely say the depth chart is fluid at this time of the year. Nobody cares about it less than Mike Tomlin, who even forgot to update the quarterback depth chart one year.
But all Austin can do is continue to go out there and make plays. He made some noise earlier in training camp, though things have grown somewhat quieter in the past week. He can increase the volume by authoring a big performance in Friday night’s preseason opener.
Last preseason, Austin only caught four passes, but for 93 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown. When he hit another long one a few weeks into the regular season, some wondered if he might not be the real deal.
But Austin was strapped with inferior coordinating and quarterback play. Sure, a diminutive wide receiver like Austin takes some special pleading to maximize his potential. He is just hoping that Arthur Smith and Russell Wilson (and Justin Fields) plead his case for him.
