WR Calvin Austin III had quite a nice year for the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. After missing his rookie season with injury, he eased into life in the NFL in 2023. But in 2024, he showcased an explosive ability, averaging 15.6 yards per catch on 36 receptions and hauling in four receiving touchdowns. And it didn’t take long for him to make an impression on his new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
But when the calendar flipped over to August, Austin suffered another injury. While nowhere near as serious as the one he suffered as a rookie, it has robbed Austin of nearly the first two weeks of August. That included the first preseason game Saturday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. How much more time will he miss?
“We’ll see,” head coach Mike Tomlin said Monday after practice, per video from Steelers.com. “At this point, I’ll describe it day-to-day. I know he’s working his way back to us and had a good rehabilitation day today. But still at this point, I’ll describe it as day-to-day.”
Considering an injury day-to-day is usually not a bad thing. However, it certainly appears that Tomlin didn’t expect Austin to still be on the sidelines 10 days after initially getting injured. And back on August 3rd, he didn’t seem all that concerned about Austin. He declined to mention him among players who he thought would miss multiple practices.
Back on August 6th, Tomlin said that Austin was “perking back up,” which led some to think Austin would be back on the field sooner rather than later. But he still did not practice on Monday. And we still don’t know what the injury is exactly.
Obviously, any injury to a player expected to contribute is a concern. However, the depth at wide receiver is lacking. There isn’t an offensive position, outside of offensive tackle, that the Steelers can ill-afford an injury more than at wide receiver. The Steelers don’t have many experienced and productive receivers. There is DK Metcalf and Austin. Robert Woods is an experienced vet who hasn’t produced as much in recent seasons.
If Calvin Austin III can’t return from this injury soon, the Steelers will have to look at adding another receiver more than they already are. The Steelers may be a run-first team, but they still need to surround Aaron Rodgers with pass catchers. And Austin showed that he can provide explosive players last year. That’s a great complement to an offense built around running the ball.
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