With owners voting to permit NFL players to play in the flag football Olympics, fans and media members are scrambling to put together the perfect 2028 Olympic roster. Most of these lists, unsurprisingly, include players like All-Pro receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase as well as rookie phenom Travis Hunter, who played both cornerback and wide receiver at Colorado. But there's one Pittsburgh Steelers player who should be considered.
Calvin Austin III is entering his fourth NFL season with just 53 receptions, 728 yards, and five touchdowns under his belt. Some of this is due to a foot injury that caused him to miss his entire rookie season. But despite his pedestrian production, Austin has the makeup to be a surprise Olympic flag football star.
Though Austin stands a hair under 5'8'' and weighs just 170 pounds, elite size is not a requirement to be an outstanding flag football player. Olympic flag football will have just five players on the field at a time for each team. This open space to run could help Austin use his lack of size to his advantage.
Pittsburgh Steelers WR Calvin Austin III could unleash his full skill set if chosen for the 2028 Olympics
With NFL superstars chomping at the bit to represent the United States in the 2028 Olympics, it's highly unlikely Calvin Austin III will have the opportunity to crack the 10-man roster. However, if he were to find himself on the US Olympic team, his skill set could be lethal.
At the 2022 NFL Combine, Austin blazed with an official 4.32 40-yard dash while posting a 4.07-second 20-yard shuttle, a 39'' vertical jump, and an 11'3'' broad jump. This exposition flashes on the field, as Austin has the speed, burst, and quickness to dust even the fastest NFL defenders in the open field.
Because of his lack of size and his ability as a punt returner, Austin often gets mislabeled as a 'gadget'. However, he's a more natural receiver than anyone gives him credit for. Austin has just four drops and a career drop rate of 4.5 percent. Though this comes on a relatively small sample (88 targets), his career drop rate is smaller than superstars like Ja'Marr Chase (6.2 percent), CeeDee Lamb (4.9 percent), and Travis Kelce (4.9 percent).
It's also worth noting that Austin had a 116.2 passer rating when targeted, and he's only allowed one pass to be interception when thrown in his direction (which came in his fourth-ever NFL game against the Houston Texans).
The biggest issue for Austin would be playing defense. Due to his lack of size, the shifty Steelers wide receiver would likely be forced to match up against the opposing Olympic team's smallest receiver. In flag players are often asked to play both ways, and Austin is a receiver by trade, not a defensive back.
Calvin Austin is entering a contract year, and there's no guarantee that he will be on the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster by the time the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles roll around. Regardless, this would be the perfect stage for an undersized player like Austin to put his full skill set on display, literally for the world to see.