Wide receiver George Pickens gets a lot of credit for his explosive plays in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, but third-year wide receiver Calvin Austin III is also a guy to remember.
On the season, Austin had nine receptions of 20 yards or more, and finished with 28 receptions for 452 yards and four touchdowns. Austin’s success as a QB began in earnest after Russell Wilson took over as the Black and Gold’s starting quarterback.
Although a bit undersized, Calvin Austin has been a force for the Steelers this season, stretching the field vertically and providing an explosive element after the catch.
For Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Austin is a “fast and fast” weapon. He gets in and out of breaks quickly and has the speed to run away from defenders and create separation, which has led to a ton of big plays this season.
“He has the speed and quickness that allows him to make releases at the line of scrimmage, and he has the type of long speed that allows him to build separation across the field and down the field. Masu.” According to Steelers.com, Tomlin talked about Austin and why he can make explosive plays. “And when you’re fast and fast, you usually position yourself to have the type of stats you outlined.”
When the Steelers selected Calvin Austin out of Memphis in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, this type of performance from Austin was pretty much what they envisioned. But then he missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury, and his second year was relatively quiet despite some big plays on offense.
But this season, Austin has settled in well with new wide receivers coach Zach Azani and has truly emerged as a key weapon for the Black and Gold. Although he is small in stature, Austin has impressed the Steelers with his speed and ability to run every route on his route tree.
He was also needed, as the Steelers entered the year with questionable receivers behind Pickens. Although he wasn’t always consistent with one reception in seven games, he was a big trader who found a way to impact the game when he was targeted.
Calvin Austin has earned his fair share of praise from Azanni and Wilson, but now Tomlin adds even more praise to the “quick and fast” receiver who has been underrated in Arthur Smith’s offense.
