Pittsburgh Steelers fans were all extremely disappointed last season when they were unable to see Calvin Austin III play a snap, not even in the preseason as he suffered a foot injury the day before the teams' first preseason game. Austin was drafted out of Memphis in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and was seen as a steal for the Steelers.
He is known as a speedy and agile wide receiver who can make players miss in the open field and make amazing plays on the ball. Despite not playing a snap for the Steelers during the 2022 season, Austin still has fans excited as he has been shining in OTAs and is being praised by teammate and future Hall of Fame cornerback, Patrick Peterson.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Calvin Austin III
Patrick Peterson's High Praise For Austin
Peterson is a future member of the Hall of Fame and one of the pieces brought in by Omar Khan this offseason to help improve the Steelers' secondary. The Steelers signed Peterson to a two-year contract back in March and is expected to contribute to the Steelers' defense right away. Aside from playing football, he is the co-host of a podcast, All Things Covered, which he hosts with former Steelers corner Bryant McFadden.
On the most recent episode of the podcast, Peterson described a play that happened last Wednesday during Steelers OTAs where during a seven-on-seven drill, Austin was able to run right by Peterson. He continued to describe what happened in the film room afterward with Steelers' secondary coach Grady Brown.
"We owe Pat Pete an apology, we didn't tell him 19 [Austin] had wheels like that," Brown said.
"That joker fast," Peterson went on to say.
This is good news to hear for Steelers fans since Peterson is a seasoned veteran going into his 13th season in the NFL who has covered many speed threats at the receiver position. McFadden and Peterson continued to discuss Austin's speed.
"He might be the fastest on the team," McFadden questioned.
"Hey, might be? I'm already crowning him right now," Peterson responded.
It is safe to say that Steelers fans should be excited about what is to come from Austin. In an offense that needs more explosiveness, it can be expected Austin will be on the field quite a bit in 2023.
NFL.com
Steelers' Calvin Austin III Running The 40 Yard Dash
Steelers' Role For Austin In 2023
Calvin Austin has been lighting it up so far in OTAs and is expected to be competing for the job of punt and kickoff returner with Gunner Olszewski and Anthony Miller, as well as being a featured part of the offense in 2023. The excitement and praise that Steelers' fans have for Austin are also shared by quarterback Kenny Pickett as he had nothing but good things to say about the receiver to reporters.
"It's been awesome to have him back. He will play a huge role in this offense. His skill set, I think we were lacking last year with his speed and how he opens things up. He will do everything you ask him to do."
Not only is it great to hear that the Steelers' offense plans to use Austin's speed to their advantage, but also the excitement Pickett shows to get Austin the ball and let him make plays to open up the offense. Austin has also received praise from the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year and one of the best cornerbacks in the league, Sauce Gardner. Prior to his rookie year, Sauce Gardner listed Austin as one of the toughest matchups he faced in college along with Jameson Williams and Garrett Wilson.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Calvin Austin III (#19) participates during training camp
The excitement and praise for Calvin Austin are real and come from many players who have had success in the NFL. Steelers' fans should all be excited to see what he can do in the Steelers' offense in 2023.
How do you think Austin will perform Steeler Nation? Let us know in the comments below!
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