“Pressure creates diamonds” is more than a mantra—it’s a test. It reveals who’s built to endure the grind and who gets buried beneath it. Few phrases capture the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 campaign better, and for Calvin Austin III, it may define his career arc. Grueling feels like the right word for a season that has asked for patience, resilience, and faith in moments when all three were hard to find.
And let's face it, Austin III’s third year in the league hasn’t unfolded the way he envisioned.
The former fourth-round speedster out of Memphis has flashed his trademark explosiveness, but injuries repeatedly interrupted his rhythm. Hamstring issues cost him valuable time and stalled any chance at consistent momentum. Still, it would be foolish to think a player built on speed and confidence wouldn’t relish a primetime, win-or-go-home opportunity to remind everyone why he belongs.
Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens is exactly that stage.
Despite battling an injury, Austin III will suit up for Week 18, a decision that says as much about his mindset as it does his health. And the Steelers need him. With DK Metcalf sidelined due to suspension and Darnell Washington unavailable with a broken arm, Pittsburgh’s offense is stripped of two of its most reliable warhorses. Arthur Smith’s unit felt that absence last weekend, failing to find the end zone without them. Austin III was also unavailable then, and that context matters.
I don’t expect the same lifeless outcome this time.
The Pittsburgh Steelers must give Calvin Austin III oppurtuntiies to impact the game in Week 18
Like Metcalf, Austin III can change the math once the ball is in his hands. He doesn’t need a dozen targets to make an impact—he needs space. An experienced punt returner with legitimate track speed, Austin III has the ability to turn routine touches into moments of chaos for a defense. Pittsburgh has grown fond of bubble screens, quick hitters, and run-pass options, so why not lean into the fastest player on the field when creativity is required most?
Options may be limited, but necessity has a way of sharpening focus.
Austin III will be joined by Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen on the perimeter, while Kenneth Gainwell—recently voted team MVP—continues to do the dirty work out of the backfield, accompanied by Jaylen Warren. Add in a motivated Pat Freiermuth, and suddenly the Steelers’ offense feels less doomed and more dangerous than expected. It won’t be about overwhelming Baltimore with talent; it will be about execution, tempo, and belief.
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Play-calling matters here. Arthur Smith will have enough chess pieces to apply pressure, and Austin III might be the most dynamic of them all. His versatility allows him to stretch the field vertically, stress defenders horizontally, and force the Ravens to respect the speed they can’t coach away.
The production has been modest this season—28 receptions for 317 yards and two touchdowns across 13 games. But numbers rarely tell the full story. Opportunity does. Sunday night offers Austin III a chance to redefine his role, silence doubts, and carve out a future in Pittsburgh that’s bigger than gadget plays and injury footnotes.
Pressure creates diamonds. In an AFC North showdown with everything on the line, Calvin Austin III has a chance to prove he’s one of them.