Patrick Peterson hypes speedy Steelers WR in wake of Diontae Johnson injury
The injury bug has struck early in Pittsburgh. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, who hasn't missed a game in over two seasons, suffered a groin injury in Week 1 that is expected to sideline him for eight weeks. Meanwhile, wideout Diontae Johnson is expected to miss at least four weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in the opener, per Gerry Dulac of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The loss of Johnson is a tough blow for a Kenny Pickett-led aerial attack that accounted for just 198 yards passing against the San Francisco 49ers.
With Johnson out of the lineup, George Pickens and veteran Allen Robinson are the obvious candidates to handle the heavy lifting at receiver. However, don't sleep on second-year pro Calvin Austin III, who Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson is excited to see work in an expanded role.
“He's probably gonna have to run a bit more routes now versus what his role was when Diontae was in the lineup," Peterson said of Austin on Wednesday when speaking with reporters. "I'm excited to see him work. He had a great spring and training camp, so now it's time for him to go out there and put it to work.”
Austin, a fourth-round pick out of Memphis in 2022, missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury. In his regular-season debut Sunday, the two-time first-team All-AAC selection hauled in all six of his targets for 37 yards. While he may only check in at 5-foot-9-inches and 162 pounds, the undersized Austin makes up for it with blazing 4.32 speed in the 40-yard dash, allowing him to line up all over the field.
According to Steelers Depot, Austin lined up as an outside receiver on 21 of the 35 plays that Johnson was out of the lineup against San Francisco. Austin should see more variance in his alignment with Johnson sidelined. Still, the majority of his snaps should continue to come on the outside with Robinson serving as Pittsburgh's preferred slot option.
Austin's efforts over the next month won't make Steelers fans forget about Johnson, whose 284 receptions are the seventh most in the NFL since 2020. However, it will give Austin an opportunity to solidify himself in Pittsburgh's receiver rotation.
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