PITTSBURGH — The lack of depth in the wide receivers room has a been a persistent problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout the 2024 season.
It’s become an acute pain the last two weeks with star outside receiver George Pickens on the shelf, leading for more calls for Steelers general manager Omar Khan to re-acquire Diontae Johnson or sign Odell Beckham Jr., or do just about anything to improve the depth at one of the league’s worst position groups.
But while that’s been transpiring, one of the Steelers’ internal options has slowly but surely become a much more reliable option.
The Steelers had high hopes for third-year slot receiver Calvin Austin III when they drafted then 5-foot-8 wide receiver and return man out of Memphis in 2022.
Things took a long detour from there, as a Lisfranc sprain in his foot cost Austin his entire rookie year. In 2023, he played in all 17 games and mad one start, catching 17 passes for 180 yards and one long touchdown. He was more used as a runner of jet sweeps, where he had 11 carries for 57 yards, than he was as a primary receiving target.
He finished last season eighth on the team in targets, fourth among receivers behind George Pickens, Johnson and Allen Robinson and also behind running backs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris and tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Connor Heyward.
But this season, slowly by surely, Austin has been improving. He had a four-catch, 95-yard game against the Los Angeles Chargers that included a 55-yard touchdown.
After a few more-quiet weeks, he rattled off a streak of three games with at least 35 yards from Oct. 13 to Oct. 28. With Pickens on the shelf the last two weeks, Austin has had his most consistent play of the season. He caught five of five targets for 65 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday and then four of five for 65 yards against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.
When the Steelers decided to go for it on a late-game fourth down, the play call they dialed up was a deep shot to Austin. The ball was under-thrown and incomplete, and Austin was well-covered, but the fact that the Steelers were looking to push the ball to their slot receiver shows how he’s risen in the estimation of the coaching staff.
“We got the look we anticipated,” head coach Mike Tomlin said after the game. “We had a shot down the field.”
Asked about the play of his young receiver on Sunday, Tomlin said it doesn’t have anything to do with Pickens being out, and is just part of the natural progression of Austin.
“Calvin’s evolution has nothing to do with the availability or the lack of availability of others,” Tomlin said. “He’s just a guy that’s stepping forward with each and every opportunity. His experience is starting to show. He’s got a feel for the game. He’s competitive, he’s playing fast, and it’s reasonable to expect that to continue.”