The Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver room is a unique one. It’s led by DK Metcalf, a proven WR1 that Pittsburgh gave big money to this offseason. Aside from him, there are a lot of unknowns. One bright spot from 2024 returns in Calvin Austin III. Sitting down with Action News 5’s Doc Holliday in an interview posted Wednesday, Austin had plenty of praise for Metcalf.
“Me and him hit it right off as soon as he came… One thing about him, you could see why he’s had the success he’s had,” Austin said. “Just the way he works… Just seeing him take off, the knee lift, the drive, I’m like, man, who wanna be in front of that? But you know, I feel like what he brings to our team, just in terms of who he is as a person, is gonna be something that’s big for us.”
DK Metcalf is in his first year in Pittsburgh, so there could be some bumps in the road as he gets acclimated to a new city, quarterback, and offense. However, that’s something the Steelers are trying to get ahead of early. After the mandatory minicamp ended, Rodgers hosted several players in Malibu, where they worked out together.
Metcalf wasn’t terribly happy in Seattle as his time there ended. Some of that showed up on the field, which causes some to label him as much of a headcase. That’s hardly been the reality since he’s come to Pittsburgh. Of course, there’s a long way to go, but there haven’t been any negative reports around Metcalf at all.
For Metcalf and Austin to be on the same page, they’ve got to learn from each other. According to Austin, Metcalf is eager to do so.
“He’s just one of the guys,” Austin said. “Constantly asking us, ‘Oh, how did this route look? What do y’all call this’? Just constantly wanting to learn… That earns our respect right off the bat.”
DK Metcalf is certainly the leader in the room, and it’s encouraging to hear him act like one. For Austin specifically, Metcalf can be a major help.
Austin is coming off a solid 2024 season, with 548 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He didn’t grab hold of the WR2 role entirely, but he did show much improvement compared to his rookie season. While Jonnu Smith is now on the roster, wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni has referred to him as the WR2. He may be capable of stepping into that spot, but he could certainly use the advice and help from Metcalf. Furthermore, Metcalf’s asking for help also shows his effort in connecting with some of the younger receivers.
Pittsburgh hopes this WR1 works out better than their last one. Things seem to be off to a good start.
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