As it stands, the Pittsburgh Steelers will head into the 2025 season with a familiar lack of depth at wide receiver. Last year, things got even tougher after Roman Wilson went down with an injury during the summer. Even with Calvin Austin III taking a nice step in 2024, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac doesn’t think he has the inside track when it comes to winning the WR2 spot this time around.
“I don’t think Calvin Austin has the pole position,” Dulac wrote in his weekly chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Lot of hope for Roman Wilson. And, who knows, maybe someone else.”
While Austin and Wilson have potential neither has proven he can produce at a high level in the league. With how young they are and injuries essentially wiping out Wilson’s rookie season in 2024, that feels like an unfair criticism. It’s true nonetheless, and it’s why the Steelers are bringing free agent WR Gabe Davis in for a visit Thursday.
Adding fuel to that fire is that the Steelers showed interest in Davis when he was a free agent before the 2024 season. Things never came to fruition there, but the veteran receiver doesn’t exactly have a ton of options right now. Regardless, if he, or another receiver with a similar resume ends up signing, they’d have a better chance at that WR2 role than either Austin or Wilson.
For what it’s worth, even if Davis signs, Calvin Austin or Roman Wilson could earn reps in the slot. Davis and DK Metcalf would both be big-bodied receivers playing on the outside. In three-receiver sets, Austin or Wilson would play in the slot.
That said, the Steelers needed receiver help last offseason, and it never really came. There’s a good chance the team rolls into the season with Austin and Wilson as its second and third options. If that’s the case, would it really be smart for Wilson to have the advantage here?
Austin was quietly a useful target for both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson last season. He posted a solid stat line with 36 receptions for 548 yards and four touchdowns. While Pat Freiermuth was really the second pass-catching option on the team behind George Pickens, Austin was the Steelers’ second-best receiver in terms of production.
If you truly want a high-powered offense, though, you’d hope your second receiver can surpass the 550-yard mark. That’s not to say Austin’s 2024 season was bad, as he did show some solid progress. However, if the Steelers give more of those reps to Roman Wilson, it’s because they think he can produce more than Austin did last year. That’s a gamble, but the Steelers are clearly high on the sophomore receiver.
One thing is for sure: both of these two players are going to be hungry to produce. Austin showed some of the things he can do in an expanded role last year. Now, he’s got to replicate or eclipse those numbers as he hopes to earn a contract extension in the near future.
As for Roman Wilson, his rookie year was a wash. After Pittsburgh spent a third-round pick on him in 2024, his sophomore season is a massive moment for his young career. Especially with Pickens gone, Wilson should be getting all the reps he needs to prove himself, and potentially even step into that WR2 role. If he starts slow, Austin will be right on his heels.
