Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is trying to give his quarterback Aaron Rodgers plenty of space and weapons to work with this season. Two of Pittsburgh's pass catchers are battling injuries, though, and will be out for awhile longer. Steelers wideout Calvin Austin and tight end Jonnu Smith are day-to-day, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“Hopefully they’re back sooner rather than later,” Tomlin said on Tuesday.

Smith is dealing with a knee injury. Austin, meanwhile, has an abdominal injury. Both are hoping to get involved in the passing game for Pittsburgh this season, following the departure of George Pickens.

The Steelers play their next preseason game on Saturday, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pittsburgh is 1-0 this preseason after defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Steelers passing offense will look very different this year

Pittsburgh has a new quarterback this season in veteran Aaron Rodgers, who signed with the team just before OTAs. Rodgers has several new receivers to throw to as well, including DK Metcalf and Robert Woods.

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While Metcalf is expected to get a lot of targets, there are plenty of opportunities for other pass catchers to get into the mix. The Steelers were hoping to see as much as they can this preseason from Smith and Austin. That's because Pittsburgh's coaches are working to figure out who best fits into their passing scheme moving forward.

There were 16 Steelers players that caught passes during the team's first preseason game, against the Jaguars. Ke'Shawn Williams led the way with 55 receiving yards, on just two receptions. He also scored a touchdown in the contest.

Steelers fans are expecting big things from this offense. Pittsburgh has made the playoffs regularly during Tomlin's long tenure, but it has been years since Pittsburgh was able to win in the playoffs. Fans want that to change this season.

Pittsburgh's first game this season is against the New York Jets on September 7. The Steelers will face off against their old quarterback, Justin Fields.

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