Steelers Now
New Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf believes big things are in store for one of the team’s third-year players.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf this offseason with the hopes he could bring some much-needed big-play ability to their offense. However, Metcalf thinks another player on the Steelers roster is going to do the same alongside him this season.
“[Calvin Austin III’s] a jitterbug out there. He’s explosive as heck,” Metcalf said. “So just looking forward to lining up with him for the rest of these last couple days of camp and then moving onto training camp, and then just starting to work off each other in different route concepts.”
Pittsburgh selected Austin in the fourth round (No. 138 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he missed the entirety of his rookie season due to a foot injury.
The 26-year-old has steadily improved every year since, though. In 2023, he had 17 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown, and then last season, he had a career-high 36 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns.
Only time will tell if Austin can take his game to another level in 2025, but Metcalf wasn’t the only person who thinks that is going to happen.
Steelers wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni also foresees a much bigger role for Austin in Year 4.
“I think that No. 2 spot is all Calvin’s right now,” Azzanni said. “Really, him and DK are such different players that there’s going to be plays that he is the one guy because that’s his route, and vice versa, because they’re so different.”
Pittsburgh has been looking to add another wide receiver since trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last month. But if Austin can continue making strides this summer like Metcalf and Azzanni believe he will, the team’s search may be over sooner rather than later.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: DK Metcalf Praises Steelers Fourth-Year WR: ‘He’s Explosive as Heck’
