Steelers Speedy WR Next Up for Extension?

New Deal for Calvin Austin III?

During a Steelers chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gerry Dulac stated that he believes it's likely Calvin Austin III is in order for an extension from the organization after the 2025 campaign concludes.

"Yes, he is next up more than likely," Dulac wrote.

Austin's Career Progression

After posting a total of 2,541 yards and 22 touchdowns on 156 catches from 2018 to 2021 at the University of Memphis, where he was teammates with Kenneth Gainwell, the Steelers selected Austin in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

He did not play as a rookie, however, due to a foot injury that eventually landed him on season-ending injured reserve. Austin returned in 2023 and appeared in all 17 of Pittsburgh's games, finishing with 17 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown while playing 374 offensive snaps.

The 2024 campaign was where Austin displayed his true potential, though, starting eight of the Steelers' 17 contests while recording 548 yards and four scores on 36 receptions. He also had a 73-yard punt return touchdown vs. the New York Giants in Week 8.

Austin has become even more integral to Pittsburgh's offense this season, playing 75 percent of the unit's snaps when healthy, per Pro Football Reference, while racking up 139 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches.

He went down with a shoulder injury in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, though, and he's in danger of missing a second-straight game in Week 7 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals while on the mend.

Austin's Long-Term Fit in Pittsburgh

Outside of DK Metcalf, who the Steelers acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in March and immediately handed a four-year extension worth $132 million, Austin is the only receiver on the team's roster who has proven himself to be a reliable weapon at the position.

As Pittsburgh's primary punt returner, he's become a valuable component of what the team does on special teams as well. Considering the organization has struggled to put together a complete receiver room with adequate depth over recent years, it wouldn't make a ton of sense to let a homegrown player like Austin walk in free agency this upcoming offseason once his rookie contract expires.

Though an extension would likely cost upwards of $10 million in average annual value, that's a price worth paying for the Steelers. Austin is still just 26-years-old and only seems to be growing within Arthur Smith's offense, and he'd lay a strong long-term foundation at receiver next to Metcalf should he ink a new deal with the team.