Calvin Austin III took a nice step forward for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. While it wasn’t exactly a breakout season, he showed promise as a viable NFL wide receiver. This year, with receiver once again a question mark, the Steelers are looking for Austin to take another jump. Unfortunately, he’s been out of action for the past several weeks due to an injury.
According to the ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on Twitter, Austin spoke about his injury on Monday, calling it “very frustrating.” When asked if he’d be ready for Week 1, Austin punted on the question.
“Whatever the medical staff and Coach [Mike Tomlin] say, I’m going to follow that,” Austin said.
Calvin Austin said it's been "very frustrating" to not be able to practice.
Asked if he was going to be ready for Week 1, Austin said: "Whatever the medical staff and Coach T say, I'm going to follow that/"
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 18, 2025
Austin seemed to be progressing toward a return on Monday, which is a good sign that his injury won’t keep him out much longer. There aren’t many details about his injury, so his timetable is unclear. However, he could miss the entire preseason, which isn’t ideal.
Hopefully, Austin is able to return for Week 1. If he doesn’t, then someone else will have to step up at wide receiver. While Austin’s injury is unfortunate, it’s provided opportunities for other players, such as Roman Wilson.
Wilson was a rookie last year, but he missed basically the entire season due to an injury. Coming into this season, Mike Tomlin hasn’t been shy about putting pressure on Wilson to perform. While he started slowly, he’s been more impressive as of late. In both the Steelers’ preseason games, Wilson played well.
And if Austin is forced to miss the start of the regular season, Wilson appears to be the next man up. The Steelers’ offense has other weapons that should help fill that void, too. Their tight ends figure to be a large part of their offense, and Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith both have proven history as pass catchers. Darnell Washington is starting to develop in that department, too.
Additionally, the Steelers may still looking to add to their receiver room. Free agent Gabe Davis is reportedly scheduled to make his second visit to Pittsburgh. If all goes well, perhaps they’ll sign him. Even if they do, it’s likely going to take him some time to acclimate as he hops on their moving train. The Steelers would love to have Austin back, so hopefully, he progresses well enough over the coming weeks to play in their season opener.
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