Calvin Austin III won't see the field this season after joining John Harbaugh and the New York Giants in free agency. The livewire former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver suffered a torn ACL during practice on Tuesday, and shared an update to Rod Wave's "Long Journey" on TikTok on Friday morning.
At the end of the post, Austin included a screenshot of a voicemail from ex-longtime Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, the Apple-generated transcript saying, "Calvin, what's up, man? Mike T. Don't you fucking blink. If you feel like you blink and cut your eyelids off, man. You built for this shit. I was just thinking about you, man. I just wanted to reach out to you."
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in a game against the Houston Texans on Jan. 12, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Austin has gained a new perspective after a few days. A fan-favorite during his time with the Steelers, he pinned up 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns on 84 receptions. He also caught the touchdown that sent Pittsburgh to the playoffs last season.
"On that field I was crying out and asking God why," Austin wrote about his setback. "But I'm starting to know why, and I'll continue to learn my purpose each day. I hope this journey I'm about to go on can help younger athletes and people navigate tough injuries and difficulties in life. I went through the same emotions any human would anger, frustration, doubt and that's normal. … I know this ain't the end of my story, but a chance to write a story that will reach farther and impact people in ways i couldn't imagine."
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