Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III is making his first steps back from an injury that’s kept him out all month. As spotted and shared by KDKA reporter Cassidy Wood, Austin donned a helmet, jersey, and jogged on the side during the team’s Monday practice.
It’s more activity than we spotted Austin making at training camp where he did not wear his uniform after getting injured during the team’s Friday Night practice.
Mike Tomlin never specified Austin’s injury, only referring to it as minor and day-to-day throughout training camp. Austin was ostensibly dealing with something more severe than a truly minor injury, though teams are more patient and careful bringing players back from injury this time of year than they might otherwise be during the regular season.
Roman Wilson has made splash plays in his absence, catching two passes for 72 yards in Saturday’s preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pittsburgh is also showing renewed interest in speedy veteran receiver Gabe Davis. He’s reportedly set to visit the team Tuesday after making an initial trip to Pittsburgh earlier this offseason. Davis has spent the year recovering from a 2024 knee injury and looks close to returning if not already cleared to do so.
Pittsburgh is dealing with receiver injuries elsewhere, too. Veteran Ben Skowronek missed Saturday’s game due to a toe injury.
Austin’s status for Thursday’s preseason finale is unclear. Based on the length of time he’s missed and where he is in his rehab, odds are probably under 50 percent he’ll suit up. But Mike Tomlin could address Austin’s situation during a Tuesday meeting with the media and even getting Austin back on the field for a handful of snaps would be a positive ahead of the regular season.
Either way, Austin looks likely to be ready for Week 1 against the New York Jets.
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