Steelers Were Done With Speedy Calvin Austin III In The Middle Of 2025 Season For 1 Reason

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been looking for any sort of quality wide receiver depth for years now. The old wide receiver factor of the 2000s and 2010s seems to have been shut down as Pittsburgh has not gotten a lot out of its draft picks at that position in recent years. What really emphasized this problem is the fact that George Pickens had an elite year in his first season away from the Steel City. Every year, there's talk of "who will the Black and Gold trade for to finally bring some solid play to the wideout room?" 

The 2025 campaign was another great example of this. In the last chunk of the season, significant snaps were being given to midseason acquisitions Adam Theilen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. That's how little the Steelers trusted the men on their roster, especially when starting receiver DK Metcalf was suspended in the final two games of the season. That is not a sign of a functioning receiver room.

There was more than just a Metcalf problem, and even more than a Roman Wilson issue. While making an appearance on Steve Smith's WR Room Series, NFL insider James Palmer revealed that the Steelers wanted a direct upgrade to Calvin Austin III, as they did not see him as a reliable starting receiver for an insulting reason.

"I remember at the [trade] deadline," Palmer stated. "[The Steelers] were searching for a receiver and they were like, 'I don't know, we do kind of like Calvin Austin. He's limited a bit because of his size and what he can do, but we kind of like him. We're looking for somebody else.'"

Austin's size has always been a bit of a knock on him, and that's why he fell to the Steelers' pick in the fourth round. He was supposed to be a Day 2 receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft, but the fact that he was 5'9" scared some teams off. In fact, many reports say Pittsburgh only drafted the former Memphis Tigers' standout because they didn't want the Baltimore Ravens to get him, who were picking next and needed a wideout.

In 2025, the Steelers committed to Austin being the second option early on in the offseason program. While the franchise clearly wanted it to work out, it did not take very long for the decision-makers to try and back out of the commitment. 

It's clear that the front office felt that a taller receiver would be much more beneficial, even though they would have to trade in that breakaway speed to get more height out of someone else. 

There was a clear disconnect between Austin and Aaron Rodgers. In 14 games, he had just 31 receptions for 372 yards and three touchdowns. That is what a team would expect out of a depth option, not a starter. After Week 8, he only got named as a starter once, and that was in Week 12. After that, he was rarely targeted again as he was phased out of the offense entirely. 

Steelers Made Sure To Fix Supposed Height Issue

In the 2026 offseason, the Steelers let Austin walk away in free agency. To replace him, they traded for 6'4" Michael Pittman Jr. and drafted 6'1" Germie Bernard to work alongside 6'4" Metcalf. The receiver room is now among the tallest in the NFL, as opposed to 2025 when Austin and Wilson were expected to be key contributors. Whether or not being tall is the key to success is still to be determined. If not, this is yet another bad look for Pittsburgh.

What do you think about the Steelers wanting to replace Austin in 2025 due to him being short? Do you think the team will be better with a taller receiver room now? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

#SteelerNation