For several decades, the Pittsburgh Steelers were a factory for producing talented wide receivers. From first-round picks to undrafted free agents, Pittsburgh consistently developed unpolished wideouts into superstars. They featured towering jump-ball threats like Plaxico Burress, versatile stars like Hines Ward and savvy route technicians like Antonio Brown.

Standout wide receiver George Pickens was expected to be the team’s next elite wide receiver, but the Steelers decided to go in a different direction this offseason. Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Steelers clearly had no intention of offering him a long-term extension. Instead, Pittsburgh traded him to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Steelers may not have been willing to pay Pickens, but Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle suggested Pittsburgh would be wise to consider a long-term deal for wide receiver Calvin Austin III. That deal likely wouldn’t sit well with Pickens, who served as Pittsburgh’s only viable offensive threat over the past two seasons.

Calvin Austin III could be receive extension after George Pickens trade

Austin was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he was sidelined during his rookie season due to a foot injury. In 2024, the third-year wide receiver recorded 36 receptions for 548 receiving yards and four touchdowns while playing a limited role.

Austin was asked to step into a starting role after Pickens suffered a hamstring injury in December, and he showed some signs of promise. The 26-year-old started five of Pittsburgh’s final six games and finished with 16 receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown. He also flashed his explosive playmaking ability when he scored a special teams touchdown on a 73-yard punt return in October.

Perhaps more importantly, Austin — unlike Pickens — hasn’t shown any character concerns. Despite their talents, many of Pittsburgh’s wide receivers have been shipped out of town due to character concerns and locker room turmoil. That list has continued to grow over the past two years. Before trading Pickens, the Steelers traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson due to locker room concerns last offseason. Those moves have left Pittsburgh with few receiving threats, and their wide receiver mine seems to have run dry.

In 2025, Austin will be joined by Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf, who the Steelers acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason. Metcalf is expected to lead the team’s aerial attack, marking the first time in years that Pittsburgh’s top wide receiver will be a player they didn’t draft and develop. Extending Austin could give him time to develop into a true full-time starter as a homegrown talent.