Third Year Receiver Notices Rodgers Effect

by Bo Marchionte
@bomarchionte | College2Pro.com
Published October 29, 2025, 4:01 PM

PITTSBURGH, Pa – Standing a few feet from Aaron Rodgers’ weekly media scrum, Calvin Austin leaned against his locker and smiled. The third-year receiver from Memphis has grown accustomed to seeing the four-time MVP command attention not just from the press, but from the entire locker room. It’s a presence Pittsburgh hasn’t quite felt since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement in 2021.

Austin didn’t need to say much to show how different things feel now, but when asked, he didn’t hold back.

“Getting more familiar and comfortable every day,” Austin said. “But you know, just having him back there going into any game gives us great confidence. You know, I don’t like to ever compare and stuff, but sometimes in the past, it’s like kind of going to the game, almost searching some still, but (now) it’s like, we get all the answers.”

That confidence is something Pittsburgh has been searching for through a carousel of quarterbacks in recent seasons. Rodgers’ arrival, even amid a two-game skid, has given the locker room a steadiness Austin said is rooted not in hype, but in accountability.

“So having eight back there, he gives us, you know, full of confidence, and really just on us as receivers, like I always say, to paint good pictures for him,” Austin said. “At the end of day, we know he gonna give us the rock.”

The Steelers’ offense, despite recent struggles, is learning the difference between playing with effort and playing with execution, something Austin emphasized repeatedly.

“If we don’t have urgency every day, we don’t get exposed or not have a job anymore quick, individually and collectively,” he said. “So, we bring urgency every day. Sometimes on Sundays, whether for lack of execution, lack of detail? We haven’t executed these past two games. I wouldn’t say lack of urgency.”

Austin’s voice carried conviction a belief that what separates winning and losing in the NFL often comes down to the smallest details.

“So, they go out there and give it they all,” he continued. “It’s about executing with detail. So that’s really what it comes down to. The urgency, the sense if we have to have any more urgency, then if guys are like, ‘Okay, let me be more urgent,’ we probably don’t need those guys, like, being for real.”

Austin referenced the team’s approach heading into a tough Week 9 matchup with the 7-1 Indianapolis Colts, saying the preparation remains steady regardless of opponent.

“Our mindset is like, and what I’ve learned from being in the league is like, regardless of your record, like, just in a small example, regardless of when we play the Browns or when the Browns play us, regardless we could, you know, one team will be oh and 16 once we 16 and no, true, it’s gonna be a dog fight regardless,” he said. “We prepare like that every week. It’s just a matter of, you know, the execution of it, because the talking about it isn’t really gonna get it done.”

Still, Austin’s appreciation for Rodgers’ presence came through clearly — in the way he described a simple “nod” from the veteran quarterback as one of the best compliments he can get.

“A big compliment is really just when you are him on the same page, and he just give you a little look, head nod,” Austin said. “You get that one? I’m like, okay, yeah, did my thing.”

The young receiver also admitted he’s made mistakes, including missing a signal or breaking off a scramble the wrong way, but said Rodgers’ response is part of what makes him special.

“You know, it ain’t gonna be the best look at the end of the day,” Austin said. “We all grown men. Everybody makes mistakes. But having quarterback like that that is challenges you and that is going to be on you where you’re not perfect is wonderful.”

It’s accountability that fuels growth the kind Austin welcomes.

“I like, I want to be the best,” he said. “Want to play with the best. I want to be talked about amongst those. So, it just shows you, like, okay, this is where we have to get to, to be within the talks of greatness.”

The Steelers are far from satisfied and Austin’s tone carries that edge. Confidence doesn’t replace accountability. But for the first time in a while, Pittsburgh’s receivers aren’t searching anymore. They have their answers.

And sometimes, all it takes is a simple nod from number eight to remind them they’re on the right path.

Photo Credit Frank Hyatt/College2Pro.com