After trading George Pickens in May, the rest of the Steelers’ offseason consisted of endless talk about them potentially upgrading at WR2. They never did, and it turns out they may have had their answer all along in Calvin Austin III.
Many hoped Aaron Rodgers would unlock Austin, and the two had a great debut together. Former Steelers defensive lineman Chris Hoke loved what he saw from Austin in Week 1.
“Listen, I like Calvin Austin III,” Hoke said Thursday on 93.7 The Fan. “I like his speed, I like the plays he made. I mean, how has he not shown after one week that he didn’t fill the number two role, the number two spot? Four catches for 70 yards, drew a big PI [pass interference] on the final drive of the game. What’s there not to like there?”
Aside from DK Metcalf, the Steelers’ receiving corps has been discounted by many. Austin sought to prove them wrong last Sunday, and he certainly did a good job. Austin had four catches for 70 yards and a score, but most importantly, he took advantage of his opportunities.
Late in the second quarter, Austin got open down the sideline for a huge chunk play that put the Steelers in Jets’ territory. Moments later he showed up again, catching a fade route from Rodgers over a taller cornerback and putting the Steelers in the red zone.
His next big moment one came right after the Steelers forced a fumble on the kickoff. They had scored the possession prior but were still training by a couple points. Austin helped take advantage of that field position, catching an 18-yard touchdown from Rodgers just moments later.
While he didn’t make a catch on the Steelers’ final drive, Austin did still impact it. He worked his man down the sideline and was targeted by Rodgers. The pass was incomplete, but he drew a pass interference penalty, putting the Steelers in field goal range. Chris Boswell eventually kicked the 60-yard game winner.
Ultimately, Austin did everything he needed to do to earn the trust of his quarterback. He got open, made people miss with the ball in his hands, didn’t have any drops, and drew penalties when he couldn’t make a catch. It turned into a 70-yard stat line, one that certainly appears to be that of a WR2. This week, Rodgers even remarked that he needs to get the ball to Austin more often.
It’s Calvin Austin’s fourth NFL season, and he seems to be blossoming into the receiver the Steelers need to step up right now.
