Steelers' Calvin Austin III Excited To Fulfill Rookie Prestige In 2023

The Pittsburgh Steelers have always been a proud franchise. It is pride stemming from Super Bowl victories, Hall of Fame players, and consistency in a league where that is a true rarity, but the deepest pride comes from what is done on the football field. In 2023, there is also pride in the way the front office had a mission to deepen the roster and bring in competition, and so far, the mission has been successful. One area where that can clearly be seen is within the receiver's room, where one young athlete is looking to put 2022 behind them for a brighter 2023: Calvin Austin III.

Steelers Saw Amazing Resolve From Austin In His Rookie Year

When a young player with extraordinary potential and explosive speed goes down with an injury in their rookie year, it isn't always a guarantee that when they return, they will be the same. That is what was going through the head of Austin every time he did his physical rehab or watched his Steelers struggle through a rough first half of the 2022 season. Austin injured his foot before the first preseason game in 2022, something that seemed frustrating, but minor at the time. The fallout, however, was far from minor, as it turned out.

The foot injury became nagging, and while Austin was able to return to practice later on, the injury worsened, and he eventually required surgery to get everything back to how it should be. For Austin, whose game is built largely on his ability to take the top off of any defense, the road ahead of him was going to be one of patience and then even more patience.

Now, skip ahead to the 2023 offseason, where Austin is finally able to show what he can do on a football field again, but the competition is truly fierce in the Steelers wide receivers room. Diontae Johnson is the established starter and isn't planning on relinquishing it anytime soon, George Pickens is a masterclass in making insane catches, and veteran Allen Robinson II brings that experience to a younger group. That is an intimidating room to be competing with, especially when your rookie year was spent on the sidelines. It was up to Austin to respond, and respond he did with flying colors.

Steelers See Immediate Results From Austin Already In 2023

The last time that Austin scored a touchdown during an actual football game was in mid-October of 2021 when his University of Memphis Tigers faced off against Navy. Austin showed off his speed by taking a running play 69 yards for a touchdown.