Steelers' Calvin Austin: Finds end zone vs. Las Vegas
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Austin secured two of six targets for 72 yards and a touchdown during the Steelers' 23-18 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
The Steelers' offense has struggled to put together big plays early in the 2023 campaign, but Austin had the longest play of Sunday's primetime matchup with his 72-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. With Diontae Johnson (hamstring) out once again, Austin saw elevated playing time for a second consecutive week while playing in 73 percent of the team's offensive snaps. Johnson will be unavailable for at least two more games while on injured reserve, so expect Austin's increased playing time to continue next Sunday against Houston.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Targeted four times on MNF
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Austin secured one of four targets for 10 yards while rushing once for minus-two yards during the Steelers' 26-22 win over the Browns on Monday.
Pittsburgh's offense struggled to generate much production once again Monday, and Austin was held in check even though Diontae Johnson (hamstring) was unavailable. However, Austin saw an increased snap count in the narrow win, playing 76 percent of the team's offensive snaps after playing 56 percent in Week 1. Austin's playing time should remain elevated over the next few weeks since Johnson is on injured reserve, but Monday's performance showed that his increased snaps won't necessarily translate to an uptick in offensive output.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Should see added opportunities
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With Diontae Johnson expected to miss time with a hamstring injury, Austin is on track to see increased opportunities in the Steelers' passing game, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.
It remains to be seen how long Johnson will be sidelined, but he's not expected to play Monday night against the Browns, at a minimum. In that context, Austin has a chance to yield fantasy utility in deeper formats, while seeing an increased profile in a WR corps that also includes George Pickens and Allen Robinson. In the Steelers' Week 1 loss to the 49ers, Austin logged 35 snaps (Johnson saw 27 snaps prior to being injured) en route to catching all six of his targets for 37 yards.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Set for key role
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Austin likely will be the Steelers' top return man this season and may also have a role on offense, Dave Bryan of Steelers Depot reports.
The 2022 fourth-round pick had a strong, well-rounded preseason, posting a 4-93-1 receiving line and taking five punt returns for 107 yards. Austin can also handle kick returns and will probably get a few carries on end-arounds or jet sweeps, but he's unlikely to play a large number of snaps on offense when Diontae Johnson, George Pickens and Allen Robinson all are healthy -- as is the case heading into Week 1 against the 49ers.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Makes big splash in NFL debut
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Austin caught two of four targets for 73 yards and a touchdown while adding 23 rushing yards on two carries in Friday's preseason win over Tampa Bay.
Austin stole the show in the second half of Friday's exhibition win when he burned his assignee on a streak that Mason Rudolph hit him in stride with for a 67-yard touchdown. Austin, a 2022 fourth-round selection, missed his entire rookie year due to injury, but he finally got to make a healthy impression on the league. Austin is currently vying for the third spot behind starting wideouts Diontae Johnson and George Pickens on the depth chart, so Friday's big game should help his chances ahead of the Steelers' next preseason matchup against the Bills on Aug. 19.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Impressing as camp progresses
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Austin has made several big plays while showing continual improvement over the first few weeks of training camp, Matthew Marczi of SteelersDepot.com reports.
Austin looked shaky during Pittsburgh's first practice of training camp but has shown continuous improvement in subsequent practices. Despite missing his entire rookie season in 2022 due to a foot injury, he's put his speed on full display during camp his second training camp. Austin is firmly behind Deontae Johnson and George Pickens on the team's depth chart at receiver but should have an opportunity to carve out a role within the offense, especially if new acquisition Allen Robinson struggles to fit in with the Steelers.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Competing for slot role
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Austin is competing to serve as the Steelers' slot receiver during OTAs, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports.
Austin missed his entire rookie campaign due to a foot injury, but he appears to be healthy this spring. The Steelers acquired Allen Robinson earlier in the offseason, but Austin still appears to be firmly in the mix for the team's slot role ahead of the 2023 season. The 24-year-old topped 1,000 receiving yards in his final two collegiate seasons at Memphis, totaling 137 receptions for 2,202 yards and 19 touchdowns during that time.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Done for season
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Pittsburgh announced Wednesday that Austin (foot) will remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Austin is ineligible to play in 2022 after his 21-day practice evaluation window came to a close without Pittsburgh activating him from IR and adding him to the 53-man roster. The rookie fourth-round pick returned to practice in early October after missing August and September with a foot injury, but the Steelers apparently decided that Austin won't help them this season. He should have plenty of time to get back to full strength before the offseason program next spring.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Will practice this week
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Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Austin (foot) will resume practicing Wednesday, starting his 21-day window to return from injured reserve, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Austin didn't play during the preseason due to a foot injury and started the regular season on IR. It's encouraging to see him in line to practice at the earliest possible time, but it remains unclear when he'll be ready for game action. When available, he'll likely slot in behind Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and fellow rookie George Pickens. However, with Kenny Pickett taking over as the primary signal caller, the target share of the aforementioned wideouts becomes a lot less certain.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Feeling good, to be ready soon
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Austin (foot) said Monday that he's "feeling great" and is just "waiting for coach [Mike] Tomlin's word" to return to practice, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
It sounds like the rookie hopes to play in Pittsburgh's preseason finale Sunday against Detroit after missing the first two exhibitions. Austin isn't likely to get many snaps Week 1 but still could make a bid for the No. 4 receiver spot behind Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and George Pickens.
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Steelers' Calvin Austin: Using walking boot
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Austin has a walking boot on his injured left foot, Dale Lolley of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
With Anthony Miller (shoulder) out for the season and a number of other wide receivers banged up, Pittsburgh enters Week 2 of the preseason looking awfully thin at the position. Austin doesn't seem likely to play this Sunday against Jacksonville, though it isn't yet clear how serious his foot injury might be. The rookie fourth-round pick should be in the mix for the fourth or fifth WR spot behind Diontae Johnson (hip), Chase Claypool (shoulder) and fellow rookie George Pickens.
