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Just under a week remains before the NFL’s legal tampering period of free agency starts, and the team has yet to re-sign any of its players set to hit the open market. Names such as Aaron Rodgers, Kenneth Gainwell, and Isaac Seumalo are the big-ticket names, of course, but the team will still have several tough decisions to make with players who aren’t exactly surefire starters.
One of those names is wide receiver Calvin Austin III, who broke out with 548 receiving yards in 2024, but could never find a consistent role in 2025, dropping to 372 yards on the season. Is there still a spot for the speedster in Pittsburgh’s receiving room? And if so, what is his market value after an up and down start to his career?
Should the Steelers re-sign Calvin Austin III?
If I’m the Steelers, I’d be open to it, but only for the right price. Even though Aaron Rodgers’ preferences at wide receiver might’ve played a role, it was disappointing to see Austin get just barely over 50% of the team’s offensive snaps when healthy despite playing in one of the league’s worst wide receiver rooms.
Austin’s speed is still a legitimate NFL weapon, but he had some inopportune drops last season and he struggled with physical coverage at times, dealing with a lot of contact but not drawing penalties. Still, he did bring some value as a returner, even returning a punt for a touchdown back in 2024.
The talk of Austin being a serviceable WR2 last season — or even a high-end WR3 — might be in the rearview mirror, but he can still be a solid contributor. And, of course, his usage and scheme fit could improve under a new offensive coaching staff with Mike McCarthy in 2026.
The high end of what Austin could command as a free agent would be the one-year, $10 million deal TuTu Atwell, another undersized speed threat, signed with the Rams last season after a 562-yard campaign. More accurate might be Kavontae Turpin’s contract with the Cowboys, which averages $4.5 million per year. Turpin had 396 receiving yards last season along with serving as Dallas’ primary returner. And on the lower end might be Justin Watson, a deep threat who had 289 yards with Kansas City in 2024, who signed a $2.5-million per-year deal with Houston last offseason.
On a Watson-esque contract, Austin would be worth keeping around. But if he draws a bigger market than expected, the Steelers should look into moving in a different direction — they have a lot of cap space and plenty of draft picks to do so. And based on Austin’s own comments this offseason, there’s no guarantee he’ll sign his next NFL contract in Pittsburgh.
Would you bring back Calvin Austin III next season? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!