The Pittsburgh Steelers held their first practice of training camp on Thursday, and fans from all over traveled to Saint Vincent College to watch the Steelers' first practice of 2023. Fans have been excited to watch some of the newly added players, as well as wide receiver Calvin Austin III who unfortunately missed the entirety of his rookie season due to a foot injury. Despite fan's excitement to see the speedy wideout get to work, it seems Austin III has to shake some of the rust off as he is struggling to get acclimated during the first day of practice. Albeit touch catches, he dropped a few balls during the team's 11 on 11 drills.
Austin III Struggles During Steelers' First Day Of Training Camp
Austin III is a player Steelers fans have been waiting to see in action since he first injured his foot during training camp last season, and the reports flying in from OTAs added to the anticipation. Steelers' newly signed Patrick Peterson praised Austin III during OTAs as he found himself getting burnt by the second-year receiver, and quarterback Kenny Pickett has said he expects Austin III to be a big part of the offense. He believes he will have a breakout year in 2023.
Even with all the excitement for Austin III and the glowing reports that came out of Steelers' OTAs, Austin III has not played an organized game of football or participated in 11 on 11 drills in almost a year. It's understandable that he would have some rust to shake off as he makes his return to the gridiron. On the offense's first drive of the drill period, Austin III was unable to come up with two different passes thrown by Pickett.
Austin III has a lot of work to do to become a consistent play maker in this offense, especially with the organization trading for Allen Robinson II during the offseason. However, this is just day one of training camp. It's early. Austin III has plenty of time to make his mark on this year's training camp and show what he can do to help the offense excel. Despite Austin III's early struggles, many other offensive players stood out during practice.
Offensive Players That Stood Out
During the team's 11 on 11 drills, Pickett seemed to get in a good rhythm with multiple tight ends. Both Pat Freiermuth and Connor Heyward were able to make nice catches, with Freiermuth making plays over the middle of the field while Heyward was able to haul in a nice catch along the side line.
It can not be overstated how important it is for a quarterback to have great chemistry with his tight ends, especially a young one such as Pickett. Tight ends can be a reliable target in the red zone as well as be used for check downs when the pressure is getting to the quarterback. Pickett struggled in the red zone last season, having a completion percentage of only 41.5%. The growing chemistry with his tight ends and confidence throwing to Freiermuth will help the Steelers' offense perform better in that area of the field.
Another Steelers pass catcher that stood out on the first day of practice was Diontae Johnson. Johnson had many receptions from Pickett that went all over the field. Johnson had a great catch over the middle as well as along the side line. He also had a toe-dragging catch on a corner route, where he seemed to fall and aggravate his knee, but fortunately was able to continue practicing.
Even with the early struggles of Austin III, it seems Pickett and his pass catchers have grown a great rapport with one another throughout the offseason. If this chemistry continues into the season, we can expect Pickett and the offense to have a much more successful year. After averaging just 18.1 points per game in 2022, things are finally looking up for Matt Canada's offense.
These are just a few of the offensive players that stood out during practice Thursday, and it's only day one. It can be expected that other play makers such as Robinson II, George Pickens, and Najee Harris make plays throughout the rest of camp. The Steelers will be in full pads next week, when we will be able to see what the revamped offensive line is able to do.
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