Steelers WR Calvin Austin III Thriving in Arthur Smith’s Offense

UNITY TWP., Pa. — On Saturday Aug. 3, the rain was still steadily falling down on the Latrobe practice field. Yet, third-year wide receiver Calvin Austin III was still out working in the elements.

Both he and veteran wideout Van Jefferson have made it a point to catch 300 passes after every practice each day. Their dedication goes mostly unnoticed to the masses and isn’t nearly enough to quiet the constant speculation surrounding Pittsburgh’s reported flirtation with many top playmakers on the trade market.

After missing his rookie season with a foot injury that required surgery and a sophomore campaign that didn’t live up to his expectations, he’s putting in the work to make sure that 2024 is his best campaign yet.

“I’ve definitely improved each year but I hate to make it seem like it’s something drastic. I’m still me. I still work really hard and I’m the same person.”

The entire offense is going through a massive schematic shift under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who has had some success with smaller receivers with similar frames in the past, such as Kalif Raymond in Tennessee and Olamide Zaccheaus during their time together in Atlanta. So far, Smith has made a good impression on his playmakers.

“He uses everyone’s skill set and that’s really what he does great. It doesn’t matter if you’re a tight end, running back, short receiver or a big receiver. If you look at his past, he’s used all of those types of players in a variety of different ways. You just have to trust him, trust his offense. As I’ve seen already, we’ve started gelling, clicking and everything is flowing.”

Not only is there a new system in place but the quarterback room was completely turned over this spring, with the additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. I asked Austin about biggest takeaways so far when working with his new signal callers.

“They’re really smart and they’re always pushing you to be great. From a quarterback position, you need that. The words that they say hold weight. You know when they say something, everyone is bought in.”

Throughout training camp, he’s been running with the first team when the offense deploys 11 personnel, splitting time out wide and inside in the slot. Even if the Steelers are able to secure another receiving threat to add to the mix, there will be an opportunity for him to make an impact in this offense in some capacity. He doesn’t have any statistical expectations set for himself but he’s looking to take a sizable step forward in all areas.

“i just want to grow in all areas, whether it’s running the ball, punt returns especially and catching the ball as well.”

Now that he’s fully healthy, it’s going to be interesting to see how he looks as a route runner throughout the preseason and early portions of the season. We know he has the speed to take the top off a defense and that alone will get him on the field sparingly. But the real upside lies on his development as a more complete route runner, which we saw glimpses of when he was coming out of college.

The receiver room is sure to be under a microscope this season and things may work out or they may not. But one thing is for sure, it won’t be for a lack of effort on Austin’s part. He’s putting the work in. Now, it’s time to see that hard work come to fruition on game day.