Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has a growing belief in the team’s doubted wide receiver group.
Many doubted the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver room leading up to the start of the 2025 regular season, but several playmakers not named DK Metcalf impressed in Week 1.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin revealed rising star wide receiver Calvin Austin III has caught his attention, in particular.
“He’s grown in all areas, to be honest with you,” Tomlin said. “He’s a guy that was really limited in his rookie year due to injury, and in spite of that saw dramatic improvement between Year 1 and Year 2. He’s such a good professional, has such a good relationship with the game, it was reasonable to expect that to continue. DK gets a lot of attention, schematic attention, personnel decision. So, it created some real opportunities for Calvin, and I know he’s game and ready for that.”
Austin, 26, did have himself a nice afternoon against the New York Jets, reeling in four of his six targets for 70 yards and a touchdown.
In fact, the game proved Pittsburgh’s belief that he can be its No. 2 wide receiver this season.
“I think that No. 2 spot is all Calvin’s right now,” wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni said in June. “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.”
Austin will now have to stack similar performances if he hopes to hold off the Steelers from adding another playmaker to the room, which many believe is still a strong possibility.
However, Austin has improved every year of his NFL career, and the start to his 2025 season seems to be no different.
He missed the entirety of his rookie season due to a foot injury and then posted just 17 catches for 180 yards and one touchdown in Year 2. Last season, Austin finally broke out, recording a career-high 36 catches for 548 yards and four touchdowns.
Austin is now on pace to crush his 2024 campaign’s numbers as he plays in a contract year.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Praises Steelers Rising Star Receiver: ‘He’s Grown in All Areas’
