Earlier this offseason, Aaron Rodgers was seen working out with DK Metcalf. When Rodgers joined the Pittsburgh Steelers, he talked about how he hoped to have more skill players join him for workouts near his home in Malibu. He succeeded in that, with Rodgers and multiple Steelers receivers training together. That included Calvin Austin III, who recently shared some details of that session.
“Being out there with [Rodgers] in Malibu and talking one-on-one with him and the rest of the receivers, and really seeing how he thinks about football, he thinks about the game,” Austin said Wednesday via Action News 5. “For example, he’s going over two minutes and what his mindset is.
“His mindset is, he’s saying, ‘We’re gonna do this because I know the defense is gonna do this and they don’t wanna do this.’ You see that experience, and playing with a Hall of Fame quarterback; it’s gonna be special.”
Some people questioned whether Rodgers’ invitation to teammates to work out with him was actually going to be productive. They wondered if, because Rodgers waited so long to sign with the Steelers, he would know enough about their offense for any of this extra work to matter.
Here, Austin dispels those concerns. According to him, that work was extremely valuable. Because Rodgers was dealing with personal issues, he spent most of this offseason unsigned. Therefore, he wasn’t with the Steelers for OTAs. These extra sessions in Malibu likely helped make up for that lost time.
Austin learned a lot about the way that Rodgers thinks, which is crucial to building a connection with him. As he goes on to explain, he appreciates the way that Rodgers works with his receivers.
“Sometimes, you can be given too much, or sometimes [quarterbacks] say too much. He just broke it down like, ‘Get open on time with my feet and cadence. Anything else, we can work with. It’s not like this, you have to be here, here.’ He lets you play football.”
Rodgers is a controversial figure who draws a lot of criticism. There were reports that he and wide receiver Garrett Wilson butted heads during Rodgers’ time with the New York Jets. Therefore, some were concerned that he wouldn’t jell with Pittsburgh’s young receivers. However, it doesn’t seem like that will be an issue, at least for Austin.
Last year, Austin took a step forward as a receiver. It wasn’t quite a breakout campaign, but he was more impactful. This season, the Steelers will likely ask him to do even more. Once again, they don’t really have a defined number two receiver behind DK Metcalf.
That position might be Austin’s to lose. Building a good rapport with Rodgers should help Austin succeed in 2025. They seem to be starting off on the right foot. Hopefully, those Malibu practices will help produce results on the field.
