The Pittsburgh Steelers ruled out wide receiver Calvin Austin III for Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. With the Steelers also set to play Thursday against the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s likely quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be without the starting wideout for both division matchups.
Austin suffered a shoulder injury during Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings. The receiver went to the hospital in Dublin for evaluation.
Coming out of the team’s Week 5 bye, Austin didn’t practice at all ahead of the Browns matchup. The Steelers ruled out the wideout on Friday.
Austin hasn’t produced a lot in the box score to begin the 2025 season. The 26-year-old has 10 catches with 139 receiving yards and two touchdowns in four contests.
Austin’s yards per game average is up from last year. But his yards per catch average has dropped from 15.2 to 13.9.
Still, Austin is a solid contributor and can explode any moment with his speed. He also brings intangibles such as his downfield blocking.
Let’s take a look at how the Steelers will probably try to replace Austin in Week 6.
What Steelers WRs Will Replace Calvin Austin III vs. Browns?
The most obvious choice to replace Austin, and the one fans likely want to see, is Roman Wilson.
The Steelers drafted Wilson at No. 84 overall in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. But he spent a vast majority of his rookie season injured.
This year, Wilson is still waiting for an opportunity to consistently contribute. The 24-year-old has one catch for seven yards on two targets.
The Steelers don’t have a lot of reliable receiver depth. That has been one of the biggest criticisms of Pittsburgh’s roster for the past year and a half.
Therefore, Wilson should get an opportunity versus the Browns for regular snaps. If he doesn’t, that could be a sign something is going wrong with his development.
Veterans Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek are the other two receiving options on the Steelers active roster. If there is a situation Sunday where the Steelers need a reliable veteran at receiver opposite DK Metcalf, then Miller or Skowronek will likely be on the field.
Miller registered a 500-yard season with Tom Brady as his quarterback during the 2020 campaign. This season, though, Miller doesn’t have a catch.
Skowronek plays a significant role for the Steelers on special teams. But in Week 1, he hauled in a 22-yard touchdown from Rodgers.
Skowronek played on offense in Week 4 after Austin left with his shoulder injury.
Of course, it will never a bad idea for the Steelers to target Metcalf more often. Metcalf broke out with five catches and 126 receiving yards in Week 4 versus Minnesota.
Steelers Could Use More Multiple TE Sets
If there’s any good news with Austin’s injury, it’s that the Steelers are already built to be able to overcome his loss.
According to Steelers Depot’s Clayton Eckert, the Steelers deployed two tight ends on the field about 42.5% of the time through the first five weeks of 2025. That’s the third-highest rate in the league.
Furthermore, the Steelers use three tight end formations the most of any team in the league.
Given Pittsburgh’s gathering collection of tight ends in recent years, that’s not surprising. The Steelers can utilize two top receiving tight ends — Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith — and a top blocking tight end — Darnell Washington.
Without Austin, the Steelers could deploy those tight ends together even more often.
More tight ends on the field could also help the Pittsburgh’s ground attack. The Steelers had their best rushing day in September while the offense used Washington and sixth offensive lineman Calvin Anderson often against the Vikings.
The Browns defense will enter Week 6 with the best yards per cary allowed average in the league. So, it took take extra big bodies for the Steelers to generate something on the ground.
The Steelers can use those extra big bodies and not worry as much about losing a receiver on the field since Austin isn’t playing.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post How the Steelers Replace WR Calvin Austin III vs. Browns in Week 6 appeared first on Heavy Sports.