Despite entering a contract year, Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin isn’t thinking contract extension. Coming off his best NFL season and showing why the team drafted him in the third round of 2022, Austin is focused on replicating his results rather than requesting a new deal.
“I haven’t even thought about that,” Austin said via local news outlet Fox 53. “I feel like after last year, me personally, [I] improved. But man, it was so much more out there. So we’re still chasing that. And at the end of the day, we’re chasing the biggest goal of all – to win a Super Bowl.”
Austin flashed big-play ability in 2024. He caught 36 passes for 548 yards and four touchdowns while averaging a 20-plus-yard reception once every 3.6 grabs, nearly matching George Pickens’ 3.5 catch rate. Austin also made a special teams impact with a 73-yard touchdown and a fifth-place finish in punting average.
Earlier this month, our Ross McCorkle made the case for why Austin has already earned a contract extension.
“Somebody like Austin, who is young, rising, and respected by his teammates, is exactly the type of guy they should look to extend,” he wrote at the time.
While Austin wouldn’t be out of line to ask for a new deal, there’s a much larger payday to cash in should he replicate and improve upon his performance in 2025. With George Pickens out the door and Pittsburgh not rushing to add any external options, Austin has a prime opportunity to see starter reps and increase his target share. Last year, he averaged just 3.4 targets per game and only saw more than five once the entire season.
Pittsburgh also has plenty of cash to spend the rest of the offseason. Most of that could go towards EDGE T.J. Watt and QB Aaron Rodgers, but there’s cash and cap space to ink Austin, too.
Still, there’s an incentive for Pittsburgh to wait to open up its wallet. Austin can prove last year wasn’t a one-off. Sustainability and consistency are what the NFL is willing to write a check for, and Austin has to prove he can build on 2024’s performance. If so, he could earn roughly $10 million per season next offseason. The question is whether it’s the Steelers or some other team willing to pay that amount.
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