Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin III has been decent in the slot this season, but as they look to upgrade their receiver room, there’s a slim chance that Austin could be on the move. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor floated in a trade deadline guide that Austin could become expendable if Pittsburgh sees the chance to acquire a veteran No. 2 receiver.
“The only scenario that makes Austin, or any other player, a tradeable asset is if trading him away gains a more established player at the position. Could Pittsburgh package Austin with a late-round pick to acquire a solid veteran No. 2 receiver?”
Pryor downplayed the actual possibility of Austin (or anyone) getting traded, writing that the Steelers don’t have a “legitimate” trade candidate on their roster. Given the available receivers on the trade market, there’s not really anyone out there who would make sense to trade Austin in a package for. While Cooper Kupp is a definitive upgrade and could play in the slot, the Rams have a lot of young talent at receiver, which may be one of the reasons why they’re interested in trading Kupp. Acquiring Austin just might not move the needle all that much, especially with them seeking a second-round pick in return.
It could wind up being a possibility, though, if the Steelers do wind up wanting to go after maybe a bigger fish from a team that wants to maybe stay in contention or at least have another young receiver who’s proven he can play. The one name that would’ve made some level of sense when it comes to including Austin could’ve been Deebo Samuel, but with Brandon Aiyuk now out for the season, the 49ers won’t trade Samuel, who’s dealing with pneumonia.
There’s no plausible trade right now that would involve Austin, but if the Steelers do move someone on their roster, he is probably the most logical candidate if it gives them a big enough upgrade to their receiver room. The other factor that could make it somewhat plausible is that Roman Wilson is probably Pittsburgh’s long-term option in the slot, but he hasn’t proven he can stay healthy yet to make an impact this year.
Austin’s inclusion in a trade is highly unlikely, and it would take a unique circumstance at this point in the season for a team to prefer a package of Austin and a late-round pick instead of just a mid-round pick or multiple late-round picks. The Steelers also shouldn’t have much motivation to include Austin, who’s been a solid punt returner and has 11 catches for 203 yards and a touchdown this season, in a trade. Pryor’s rationale here makes sense, and even she doesn’t see it as likely, so I wouldn’t count on Austin being moved within the next two weeks.
