Injury To Key Offensive Playmaker May Force Steelers' Omar Khan To Make 1 More Big Splash

The Pittsburgh Steelers are having a very intriguing 2025 training camp. There are a lot of new faces in the locker room, which has sparked plenty of discussion regarding the potential of the team as the regular season approaches. One positional group that has certainly been mixed up is the wide receiving corps. DK Metcalf arrived via trade, but George Pickens was shipped off to the Dallas Cowboys. The pair of transactions has left many fans hoping to see Calvin Austin III turn into a pivotal playmaker on the offense, but he has once again been sidelined due to an injury.

After the Steelers' training camp practice on Monday, Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke to the media and when he was asked about expectations when it comes to Austin returning, there wasn't too much positive news to report.

"We'll see," Tomlin said. "At this point, I'll describe it as day-to-day. I know he's working his way back to us and had a good rehabilitation day today, but still, at this point, I'll describe it as day-to-day."

Without a true timeline for Austin's return, it has to make one wonder if something a little more serious is going on. The wideout missed his entire rookie season back in 2022, and there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding his status heading into that season with little understanding of how serious of an issue he was actually dealing with. The hope is that the same doesn't occur as he plans to enter his fourth professional season.

Roman Wilson will be next to step up alongside Metcalf, along with veterans Robert Woods and Ben Skowronek, but Austin is still expected to be an important part of the offense. The Steelers also could have the best tight end group in all of football, which can only help the offense as a whole. If Austin is dealing with something serious, however, General Manager Omar Khan may be interested in making one more big move before the beginning of the regular season.

While Pittsburgh may be able to get away with trotting out the current unit each week, a serious injury to Austin would hurt the offense's ability to get the most out of what is not being looked at as one of the deepest groups in the NFL. The Steelers need to have some kind of backup plan if Austin is expected to be out for an extended period of time, which is why acquiring another pass-catcher may be in the plans if the former fourth-round selection can't get healthy.

After losing his entire rookie campaign to injury, Austin has proven that he can stay in uniform, as he has participated in 34 straight regular season games. The wide receiver has missed roughly 10 days of practice, which is both concerning and counterproductive. With Aaron Rodgers in town, it's critical that he can build rapport with his top offensive weapons. That development has been hampered when it comes to Austin, who was expected to maybe be Rodgers' second target.

Questions will continue to be asked if the Steelers don't have Austin on the field soon. If his injury is worse than the team is currently letting on, then a move might have to be made to bolster the unit. It could have already been in the cards, but a long-term absence from an anticipated starter should certainly force Khan's hand into making some kind of acquisition, whether it be a trade or free-agency signing.

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Terry McLaurin is having issues with the Washington Commanders as he continues to wait for a new contract. If Pittsburgh does foresee Austin's injury being more significant than originally thought, Khan could potentially utilize the plethora of draft capital he has at his disposal for 2026 to acquire, and then pay, McLaurin. The front office has proven to be aggressive, and an injured Austin could trigger one more shocking move.

Do you think the Steelers are hiding something about Austin's injury? Let us know in the comments below!

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