Steelers WR Calvin Austin III 'Changing Mindset' To Make An Impact

Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Calvin Austin III is entering his third season in the NFL, but only his second of actual game action. He missed his entire rookie season in 2022 with a foot injury. With the Steelers in need of quality receivers to step up, Austin is working hard to be that guy.

Knowing the team needs someone to step up, Austin went about working hard in the offseason to better himself and stood out during OTA’s and minicamp.

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“I had a mindset on when I would run routes that would have to be stopped on a curl, a stop route, or a comeback,” Austin said. “My mindset was that I was too focused on the [defensive back] instead of just trusting my breaks. “I have some of the best stop-starts of anybody so it was me being too focused on the [defensive back] and trying to use my hands instead of trusting my feet and trusting my advantage.”

He's not the biggest guy at 5-foot-8, but he can fly when he turns the jets on. He posted a 4.32 40-yard time at the combine before his rookie season. If he can work out of the slot, he could be incredibly impactful in crossing routes against slower defenders as well as take the top off of the defense with his speed.

Austin is vigilant in his preparation and knows he has to stand out and make an impact this season. It will definitely be exciting to see his progress once the lights come on in a fan-filled stadium.

Just a few more weeks, and football is officially back.