A healthy Roman Wilson isn’t the only reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers felt comfortable moving off George Pickens and creating an opening for the team’s No. 2 receiver. They’re just as high on Calvin Austin III, who, unlike Wilson, has a proven body of work on the field. Breaking out in 2024 after two quiet seasons, Austin could be in store for a leap in playing time and target share.
Writing about the Pickens trade Monday, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer points to Austin as someone the team likes internally.
“The Steelers think more highly of Calvin Austin III than people realize,” Breer wrote. “He’d be a name to watch with Pickens gone.
Austin is coming off his best NFL season, finishing 2024 with 36 receptions for 548 yards and four touchdowns. His 4.3 speed was on display from early in the season starting with a 55-yard touchdown to cap a Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
He carried that over to the return game, registering the Steelers’ first punt return touchdown since 2019 with a long runback in a midseason win against the New York Giants.
Austin finished the year with 10 receptions of 20-plus yards, averaging one explosive play every 3.6 catches. A highly efficient number and return on investment after silent rookie and sophomore seasons. He missed his rookie year with injury and barely played as a sophomore, poorly used by OC Matt Canada outside of one long touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Coaches praise Austin for his work ethic, and he’s a selfless player willing to block and do his part. But it’s fair to wonder if Austin is truly a No. 2 receiver capable of replacing Pickens’ snaps. Austin speed is legitimate, and his game has grown, showing a wider catch radius than earlier in his career, but his impact plays have largely come over the middle instead of the outside where Pickens made a living. Ideally, Austin is a No. 3 who provides the semi-routine splash play instead of being a volume receiver catching 60-plus passes per season.
If the Steelers’ public comments are truthful, Pittsburgh is banking on internal options to replace Pickens’ production. Wilson is an unknown with five offensive snaps under his belt. But Austin showed a lost rookie year isn’t disqualifying and the team is hoping Wilson can replicate Austin’s career arc. If neither can become a clear-cut starter, Pittsburgh will spend the summer and fall looking for help, just as it did in 2024.
