The Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver corps got some bad news recently. Starting wideout Calvin Austin III will most likely miss Week 6 and Week 7 with an undisclosed shoulder injury. With games on Sunday and the following Thursday, there's little time to acquire and plug-in possible new acquisitions. For now, Pittsburgh will just have to work with what it has. Someone has to step up and be that next man. The only question is about who it will be.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (19) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
There is one under-the-radar option that is making himself known in practice leading up to Week 6. Undrafted rookie Ke'Shawn Williams recently spoke about how he has taken this opportunity with Austin currently sidelined.
Undrafted rookie WR Ke’Shawn Williams said he’s felt like he’s improved over the summer and early regular season and that he’s relished the practice reps he’s gotten this week with Aaron Rodgers what with Calvin Austin down
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) October 10, 2025
With all the reps he has received with quarterback Aaron Rodgers of late, it seems like Williams will get called up for both upcoming contests. It's unclear exactly what his role will be, but if he can develop a strong rapport with the 41-year-old, then he could see a few passes going his way. This will be a great chance for him to prove that he belongs in the NFL.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' backup quarterback Skylar Thompson celebrates with his teammate wide receiver Ke'Shawn Williams after a nice play.
Williams was one of the stars of training camp and preseason. He had four receptions for 86 yards during that time, as well as a big-time touchdown in the first exhibition of the year. While he was not targeted much, he made some impressive catches down the sideline. He was a consideration for the 53-man roster, but Pittsburgh opted to go with five receivers instead of six.
Williams was also the sole punt returner that the Steelers used during preseason. While Scotty Miller recently confirmed that he was next in line in that regard, it's still good to have some depth there in case something was to unfortunately happen to him. That ability makes it even more likely that he will be promoted to the Active/Inactive roster prior to game day until Austin returns.
Steelers' Potential Call-Up Raises More Questions Than Answers
If Williams does get the call-up and receives plenty of in-game reps, the concerns over Roman Wilson will only grow louder. The second-year receiver has only had one reception through the first four games of 2025, even though he was supposed to be a key playmaker on the team. Him losing snaps to an undrafted rookie could be very telling about how Rodgers and/or the coaching staff feels about him.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers’ Roman Wilson showcases his impressive athleticism with a stunning acrobatic catch during an intense practice session at the 2025 training camp.
Miller and Ben Skowronek also out-snapped Wilson in Week 4 when Austin went down with injury. They have been praised for their ability to run block, especially "Dirtbag" Skowronek. With the Steelers' run-first offense, that ability will make sure that they both see plenty of reps, which means Wilson could be battling with Williams for any sort of quality playing time as the games go on.
Wilson does have some run-blocking ability, especially since he came from a run-heavy offense from the Michigan Wolverines. That could be the edge he needs to out-snap Williams and get a few balls thrown in his direction. He seemed to have a good connection with Rodgers as training camp progressed. Now, it needs to be shown on full display in two key divisional contests. He can't lose his spot to someone from the practice squad.
What do you think about Williams possibly getting his chance in the NFL, as well as him and Wilson battling for snaps? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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