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The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a few injuries during their Week 4 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Wide receiver Calvin Austin III sustained a serious enough injury that he went to the hospital in Dublin, Ireland.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters in his Week 4 postgame press conference that Austin suffered a shoulder injury. The coach added that he thought Austin was being further evaluated at the hospital.
The wideout appeared to hurt his shoulder early in the fourth quarter.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported she saw Austin getting into an ambulance with his shoulder in a sling.
“Steelers WR Calvin Austin III was just loaded into an ambulance in the tunnel with his shoulder in a sling,” wrote Pryor on social media.
Austin had two catches for 13 yards on two targets before his departure.
Steelers WR Calvin Austin III Suffers Shoulder Injury
Austin made his second catch of the game on the play where he suffered the shoulder injury. Austin caught a short pass and gained eight yards to the Vikings 33-yard line.
The receiver remained down on the field and appeared to be grabbing at one of his shoulders after the play.
The Steelers didn’t provide a specific update on Austin. The team likely won’t this week either because the Steelers have a Week 5 bye.
But Austin’s arm in a sling is not a good sign. If he has to miss time, that’s significant bad news for the Steelers.
While the receiver is by no means a household name, he’s the WR2 in Pittsburgh’s offense that doesn’t have a lot of receiver depth.
Entering Sunday, Austin was third on the Steelers with 126 receiving yards. He was also leading the team with 15.8 yards per reception and two receiving touchdowns.
Last season, Austin posted a 15.2 yards per catch average. He finished the campaign with 36 catches and 548 receiving yards, both of which were career highs.
Austin is in his fourth NFL season. He missed his entire rookie season with an injury. The Steelers obviously want him to return because he’s one of the offense’s starters.
For Austin, any extended absence could really hurt his NFL future. The receiver is set to be an unrestricted free agent in March.
Steelers WR Depth Behind DK Metcalf, Austin
The Steelers finally received a huge performance from No. 1 receiver DK Metcalf on Sunday. If Austin is sidelined, the team will rely even more upon Metcalf.
In Austin’s spot, the Steelers could turn to 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson or veterans Scotty Miller and Ben Skowronek.
Steelers Nation would likely prefer to see more of Wilson. He came into the league with considerable hype for a Day 2 selection. But Wilson played just one game as a rookie last season.
In 2025, Wilson was averaging 13.7 offensive snaps per week entering Week 4. He has posted one catch for seven yards on two targets.
Miller and Skowronek are two veterans, the latter of which plays more on special teams. But Skowronek appeared to play more on offense after Austin departed.
The team could also rely more on its tight ends. Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith each have big-play abilities but have yet to show much of that this season.
Darnell Washington is another tight end option on the Steelers roster.
The Steelers will return home from Ireland without a game next Sunday. They will host the Cleveland Browns in their next contest during Week 6 on October 12.
