LATROBE, Pa. — Calvin Austin III had to know it was coming. Given everything that has been made of the Steelers‘ receiving corps and whether or not the position will be added to sometime before Week 1, Austin and the other receivers being asked by reporters about the outside noise was about as predictable as the end of a 30-minute ’90s TV sitcom.
But here’s where it gets interesting. Instead of giving the question a non-answer, Austin acknowledged that, yes, he and Pittsburgh’s fellow receivers hear the noise, and yes, it is serving as added motivation as the Steelers begin training camp.
“We don’t talk about it openly, but … we’re all human,” Austin said following Thursday’s practice in a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports. “We hear the talk and stuff. As players and competitors, we don’t need any more motivation. … But that extra stuff is a little, you know, we’re competitors at the end of the day. So it’s like OK, doubt me. Cool, we’ll see.”
In the doubters’ defense, there is good reason to question to the Steelers’ receiving corps as currently constructed, thus inviting the speculation of bringing in outside help.
Pittsburgh’s wideouts have the potential to be good. George Pickens has the potential to be a top-10 or even a top-five receiver. He showed it on Thursday when he turned a short completion from Justin Fields into a touchdown.
The Steelers’ other wideouts have the potential to provide enough of a threat to allow Pickens, the Steelers’ tight ends and running backs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris room to do their thing. Austin is a big-play threat every time he’s on the field. Van Jefferson, a Super Bowl winner with the Rams in 2021, showcased his big-play flair on Thursday when he pulled down a deep pass from Justin Fields. Rookie Roman Wilson has already drawn comparisons to Steelers legend Hines Ward.
Those are the positions. Here are the negatives.
Pickens struggles with his consistency and, as was the case again on Thursday, controlling his emotions. Austin has just 17 career regular season catches. Jefferson’s career has taken a downward turn over the last two years. He didn’t catch a touchdown last year and caught less than half of the targets thrown his way. Wilson is a rookie, and it’s hard to put too big of expectations on first-year players.
The above paragraph has fueled headlines regarding the Steelers’ possibly trading for an accomplished, veteran wideout. Supporting those headlines are reports stating that Pittsburgh has engaged in talks with other teams about acquiring a wideout via a trade. Steelers general manager Omar Khan, when asked following Thursday’s practice, said that the team is not currently having talks with other teams about a trade.
In the meantime, Austin and Co. are trying to make their case, both individually and as a unit. Thursday was a step in the right direction, especially in Jefferson’s case. Austin, who is perhaps the Steelers’ fastest player, is trying to make an impact both as a receiver and as a returner. He specifically said that he is hoping to make the Pro Bowl this year for his work on special teams.
Austin is also looking to build off the success he had last year after an injury wiped out his entire rookie season in 2022. While playing behind Pickens and Johnson, Austin scored touchdowns via rushing and receiving. He caught his first career postseason touchdown catch during Pittsburgh’s loss to Buffalo in the wild card round.
Austin’s breakout moment occurred during the Steelers’ Week 3 matchup at Las Vegas in prime time. With the Steelers trailing early, Austin showcased his speed and big-play ability when he scored on a 72-yard touchdown. The score appeared to alter the momentum in what turned into an eventual win for the Steelers over one of their historic rivals.
“That was definitely one of those moments where it was like, yeah, I’m here,” Austin said of that moment. “This year, it’s just me doing the same thing. Continuing to work, stay humble, trust the process and just let everything fall into place.”
It’s easy to talk the talk, but being able to walk the walk is an entirely different thing. At this point, Austin is walking the walk. Prior to speaking to the media Thursday, Austin had just finished running routes and catching passes from Russell Wilson, who didn’t take part in practice as he is dealing with a calf issue.
It was a small thing, but the sight of Austin, Wilson and several other receivers putting in extra work was a sign of the unit’s desire to have success while at the same time showing that the Steelers’ receiving corps is up to the task.
It also shouldn’t be overlooked that, while Pittsburgh’s receivers have something to prove, its quarterbacks certainly do, too.
“Anything you have a new quarterback, it’s going to take time to build that chemistry,” Austin said. “But the quarterbacks have been so up-front and forthcoming in trying to build that chemistry. We trained out in San Diego with Russ a couple times and just continuing to build chemistry and those little things that coaches can’t do for the players.
“It’s amazing,” Austin continued while talking about Wilson and his impact since coming to Pittsburgh. “Obviously, somebody my age, you’ve seen him in the Super Bowl and has been the quarterback for some legendary teams. It’s almost surreal at first. … Russ doesn’t wanna do anything but to help the team and for our personal growth, too. He’s been to the top, won a Super Bowl. He’s pushing you to be a better person and player.”
