The Pittsburgh Steelers are just days away from kicking off the 2025 regular season against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Fans have a decent idea of what the team is going to look like, although most of Pittsburgh was clamoring for the organization to add a better and more reliable option at wide receiver behind DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh is in a similar spot to where it was ahead of the 2024 season, where the team has a clear number one option at wide receiver, but there are some question marks behind him in the passing game.
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Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf catches the football during a joint practice against Tampa Bay in 2025.
Metcalf is expected to have a pretty big year catching passes from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but the wide receiver room is pretty bleak behind him. Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson will be next up on the depth chart, and Austin missed the majority of training camp with an injury, while Wilson has barely played in an NFL game. Austin took a good step forward in 2024, but it is still hard to find either Austin or Wilson to be extremely reliable. Insider Aditi Kinkhabwala joined 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday and she shared that maybe there shouldn't be a lot of worry surrounding the two young receivers.
"I cannot tell you enough how many good things I've heard about Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson," Kinkhabwala said. "I'm really intrigued to see what these two young guys can possibly do."
Kinkhabwala did not specify where she heard all the praise for Austin and Wilson, but it sounds like it came from somewhere inside the building in Pittsburgh. Rodgers has said good things about both players since joining the team, and it will be interesting to see what kind of chemistry he has with either player once the regular season begins against New York.
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Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (19) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Austin missed his entire rookie season back in 2022, but he has been a pretty impactful part of the offense over the last two seasons. He had a decent season in 2023, and he took a great step forward in 2024. He significantly increased his production last year by catching 36 passes for 548 yards and four touchdowns. Those aren't quite wide receiver two (WR2) numbers, but if he can take another step in 2025, he will be right where Pittsburgh wants him to be.
Wilson is the bigger question mark out of the two wide receivers. He only played in one game during his rookie season and he did not see a target, while he is expected to be relied upon heavily in 2025. He and Rodgers had some chemistry issues early on in training camp, but it seems like the two have been working together to make things work. Wilson is a young player that is going to make some mistakes, but his route running and reliable hands could make him a highly impactful member of Pittsburgh's offense, especially if Rodgers believes he can rely on the second-year player.
Steelers Also Have One Of The Best Tight End Rooms In The League
Pittsburgh's receivers might be questionable to some, but the team is elite at tight end. The franchise doesn't necessarily roster any superstars at the position, but Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith are more than reliable and impactful over the middle. Darnell Washington is also a monster in the passing game and is a good enough blocker that he could play tackle if he wanted to. Connor Heyward is able to do it all and play multiple positions.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers tight ends Jonnu Smith (81) and Pat Freiermuth (88) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
There might be questions about wide receiver, but Pittsburgh is expected to operate an offense that features the tight ends heavily. The receivers will still be important to the offense, but they aren't as much of a worry due to the talent Pittsburgh has at the tight end position.
What do you think about Kinkhabwala's comments about Wilson and Austin? Let us know in the comments below!
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