Steelers' Biggest Weakness 'Painfully Obvious' In Camp

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Jun 15, 2025 - 16:30

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Steelers' Biggest Weakness 'Painfully Obvious' In Camp originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' mandatory minicamp has concluded. Fans will now be counting down the days until training camp in late July.

But there's still plenty to talk about after minicamp. While minicamp is padless, and not a true representation of NFL football, there are still plenty of takeaways to be had.

With Aaron Rodgers finally signing a deal with the Steelers just days before minicamp concluded, Pittsburgh has a quarterback for now. But the team still has another glaring weakness: a lack of a No. 2 wide receiver behind DK Metcalf.

Steelers' wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni had high praise for Calvin Austin III, naming him the current WR2. Austin has shown flashes and big-play ability, but, according to Still Curtain's Tommy Jaggi, Austin falls short, both literally and physically.

"Austin has yet to operate in a true WR2 role." Jaggi wrote. "Last year, he split time with Van Jefferson and later, Mike Williams. After suffering a season-ending foot injury during his first training camp in 2022, Austin has just 53 receptions for 728 yards and five touchdowns in three NFL seasons."

Despite those flashes, Austin's physical traits concern Jaggi.

"But the biggest reason to doubt (Austin) is glaring—he stands at just 5'7 3/4'' and 170 pounds." Jaggi noted. "This will forever put him at a disadvantage compared to his wide receiver peers. Of course, there's always a chance that Roman Wilson could pass Austin on the depth chart. Wilson was Pittsburgh's third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft but played just five snaps as a rookie last year due to injuries."

There's still plenty of time to add another receiver, either via trade or via free agency, oh which there are a few notable options.

"Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper remain the biggest unsigned free agents, but Allen expressed that he wasn't interested in playing in Pittsburgh." Jaggi wrote. "Cooper, on the other hand, was praised by Aaron Rodgers last year on 'The Pat McAfee Show.' Rodgers loves precise route-runners, and Cooper fits the bill. Perhaps this is something the Steelers look to pursue."

A trade at this point in the offseason seems unlikely. It's rare that a team wants to swap a quality receiver this close to the season. So the options are lacking ... and maybe the Steelers wideout room is as well.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.