At the beginning of training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense seemed to be getting the better of the offense day in and day out. After dominating the offense yet again in the first padded practice Wednesday, the offense came out with a point to prove on Thursday, making some good progress in a feisty morning workout. According to Calvin Austin III, that’s a sign of things to come. Speaking after practice earlier this week, Austin was asked about the progress the offense is making with Aaron Rodgers.
“Just continuing to work on timing, chemistry, soak up the things he’s saying,” Austin said, via Post-Gazette Sports on YouTube. “We’ve just been continuing as an offense to communicate more and more. You know, I think we’re getting to that point where things start clicking.”
After a few days full of bad snaps and negative plays, the offense did look better on Thursday. It was a big step for Aaron Rodgers, who connected with Metcalf on a few big plays. For Austin specifically, he might find it most important to be on the same page with Rodgers considering his current situation.
Calvin Austin did take a nice step last year, recording over 500 receiving yards, and leading all Steelers wide receivers with four touchdowns. However, it wasn’t enough to convince the Steelers to offer him a contract extension. Austin is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, and if no extension is reached before the season begins, he’ll become a free agent next year. Going into a contract year is a big deal for any player, but especially for Austin.
One reason: his share in the offense may vary throughout the season. Metcalf should get a ton of targets. While there’s a lack of depth at receiver, Austin may not be next in line behind him. Jonnu Smith will serve in a variety of different roles. And the Steelers are even experimenting with four-tight end sets in practice. Aaron Rodgers has repeatedly complimented the tight ends, so they’ll likely be getting plenty of opportunities as well.
For Austin, that makes things complicated. If he lays a dud in 2025, his chances of returning to Pittsburgh, or getting a big contract somewhere else, will drop quite a bit.
That said, the Steelers seem to be high on him. WRs coach Zach Azzanni has gone as far as to call him the WR2, although plenty of camp remains. For Austin to have the big season he needs, he needs to be in sync with Rodgers. It sounds like things are heading in the right direction there.
