Steelers' Calvin Austin III Has Unexpected Problem With The Law Pop Up

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been trying to find someone that can step up into the starting wide receiver role. Calvin Austin III was named WR2 earlier in the offseason, but he has been out with some sort of lower body injury for a while now. What seemed like a minor injury has quickly become something concerning, as he has not practiced since Friday Night Lights in the beginning of August. For a team low on receiver depth, losing someone like him would be a massive blow. 

However, it seems like he has other issues to deal with. Back in May of 2025, Austin was arrested on animal-related charges, according to the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. His next scheduled court date is September 8th, 2025, which is the day right after the Steelers' Week 1 game in New Jersey against the New York Jets. So far, the team has not made any comments about this arrest at all, and no disciplinary actions have been vocalized or reported (if there even are any).

While that arrest is not reportedly why he is missing practice, this is still likely a very rough situation for Austin. Based on the wording in the report, it sounds like his pet dog may have bitten and injured someone else's dog, as the report is officially listed as "Confined Within Premises of the Owner." Even if the incident was entirely accidental, it's still a horrible thing to have to deal with if true.

According to the report, Austin seems to have not made a plea one way or the other, and he had a trial back on June 17th that will be continued on the aforementioned date in September. Luckily, he most likely will not face any jail time, so he can get back to practicing and working out once he's healthy. This should also most likely not result in a suspension, so he can keep burning defenders with his top tier speed. Once the case is over, he will likely end up paying some sort of fine, then he can put the incident in the past where it belongs.

Steelers' Receivers Capitalizing On Opening At WR2

Even though Austin has the court stuff to deal with, he is still trying to do what he can to recover from his training camp injury and get back to the field so he can take his starting job back. While he's gone, other players have taken advantage of his misfortune to try and prove themselves as capable wideouts.

Roman Wilson has been electric ever since he was publicly called out by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He had a pair of nice receptions during the Preseason Week 1 game as well, in which he was listed as a starter. After being dropped on the depth chart, Wilson has done everything right and has been developing chemistry with the entire quarterback room. 

There are other depth players that have gotten a few reps here and there like Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek. They were secondary pieces to the team in 2024, especially for blocking during the back half of the season. Now, they get a little more of a shot to prove that they can play well in the passing game too.

Even with other receivers competing for first team reps during Austin's absence, we hope for nothing but the best for the fourth-year receiver, as well as his dog. It is an unfortunate situation all around, and it seems like he never wanted this to occur in the first place. Hopefully, he can put this whole situation to rest and focus on football.

What do you think about Austin's legal trouble, as well as his injury concerns? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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