Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III suffered a major knee injury during Tuesday's practice that includes a torn ACL and will sideline him for the entire 2026 NFL season, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov .
Meirov reports that Austin's injury includes multiple torn ligaments , with a long road to recovery ahead. It looked gruesome on the practice field, and all the follow-up testing confirmed the severity of the injury and more.
Austin signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million with the Giants this past March. The deal included $100,000 guaranteed. Incentives can push it to as much as $4.5 million.
Austin, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, played in 48 games for Mike Tomlin's Steelers over three seasons. He caught 84 total passes for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns. Austin missed his entire rookie season with an injury, then grew into a role as a secondary target for the handful of quarterbacks the Steelers have fielded in the past three seasons.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III during a game against the New York Jets on Sept. 7, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Last season, Austin had 31 grabs for 372 yards and three touchdowns. He hauled in the game-winning 26-yard touchdown pass that vaulted the Steelers into the playoffs over John Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens in Week 18. He also had go-ahead/game-winning scores against the New York Jets and New England Patriots .
Austin also returned punts for Pittsburgh, bringing one back for a touchdown during the 2024 season.
Austin switched agents this offseason, which was a telltale sign that he wouldn't be back in Pittsburgh next season. He spoke about the possibility of leaving Pittsburgh before landing with the Giants.
"Pittsburgh, just being real, they might not want me, or they have a different vision. And that's why I say at the end of the day. It's just straight business decision," Austin said on a radio appearance.
The post Former Steelers Wide Receiver Suffers Season-Ending Injury appeared first on Steelers Now .
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