The Pittsburgh Steelers are rolling heading into Week 7. Pittsburgh is on a three-game winning streaking heading into Thursday Night Football against Cincinnati. Unfortunately, the Steelers will be without one of their top wide receivers for this important divisional matchup.
Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III will not play on Thursday against the Bengals, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
“Calvin Austin one of the young, young receivers for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is not going to play tonight,” Rapoport said on Thursday via Good Morning Football. “He is dealing with a shoulder injury, has not practiced at all this week.”
Austin has stepped up as a starting wide receiver for Pittsburgh in 2025. But his shoulder injury threatened to put him on IR and has kept him out since Week 4.
The Steelers will be forced to lean on their depth with Austin out of the lineup.
“Obviously you're going to see plenty of DK Metcalf,” Rapoport added. “Plenty of Roman Wilson, Scotty Miller also there as a depth piece. So the Steelers should be fine.”
Pittsburgh may also lean on its running game against a lackluster Cincinnati defense.
Aaron Rodgers, Arthur Smith “kindred souls” according to Steelers lineman
Rodgers has fit in better than expected in Pittsburgh.
That is especially true of his relationship with OC Arthur Smith. In fact, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the pair are actually a lot alike.
“As right tackle Troy Fautanu told me recently, Rodgers and Smith are both quick-witted and sarcastic, kindred souls in that way, razzing each other like old friends during team meetings,” Fowler wrote. “‘They are always messing around with each other,' Fautanu said. ‘It's a healthy dynamic.' Rodgers and Smith also respect each other's football acumen. It's a match that has worked well.”
Pittsburgh sits atop the AFC North at 4-1. That is exactly what the Steelers hoped would happen by adding Rodgers.
It will be exciting to see if the Steelers can make a deep playoff run later this winter.
Steelers at Bengals kicks off at 8:15PM ET on Thursday.
