The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in a back-and-forth shootout with the Cincinnati Bengals all day long, and every advantage is critical to leaving Cincinnati with a much-needed AFC North win. One speed advantage will be unavailable as Calvin Austin has been ruled out of the contest.
The hits came early for Austin, as he was briefly knocked out of the game on the first offensive play for Pittsburgh. Russell Wilson fired a pass down the seam looking for Austin, who took an early hit from Akeem Davis-Gaither, taking Austin out of the game for a few plays.
Austin managed to return to the game and made a few significant plays, namely a 23-yard touchdown reception on the first play of the second quarter to tie the game at 14.
At the end of the half, while the Steelers were driving a two-minute drill, Austin took an even bigger hit from Cam Taylor-Britt in the flats that up-ended the young receiver. With helmet-to-helmet contact and a tough landing on the turf, Austin was evaluated for a concussion.
Calvin Austin ruled out vs. Bengals with head injury
Early in the second half, Austin was designated as questionable to return before ultimately being ruled out near the end of the third quarter.
Austin finishes his day with two catches for 29 yards and the score. Austin has been more involved in the offense since Wilson took over at quarterback, though there is still certainly more room for statistical growth.
With Austin unavailable, the Steelers will turn to the likes of Mike Williams, Ben Skowronek, and Van Jefferson to pick up the slack. Outside of a 22-yard catch by Skowronek, none of these options have been particularly effective, which leaves the Steelers short-handed if none of them step up.
We'll continue to monitor Austin's status once more information becomes available after the game.