Calvin Austin: Everything you need to know

The Giants signed Austin to a one-year contract worth up to $4.5 million Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. It's a nice landing spot for Austin, in the sense there isn't a whole lot of proven competition at the wide receiver spot behind Malik Nabers (knee), as Austin looks like a current favorite to be part of the team's three-wide set alongside Malik Nabers (knee) and Darius Slayton after Wan'Dale Robinson left in free agency. Austin failed to gel with Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh last season, securing just 31 of 55 targets for 372 yards and three touchdowns across 14 regular-season appearances. Austin averaged 15.2 yards per catch in 2024 and offers theoretical big-play potential.

Austin brought in three of six targets for eight yards and returned one punt for 14 yards in the Steelers' 30-6 wild-card loss to the Texans on Monday night. Austin's receiving line underscores how suffocating the Texans defense was overall, on a night when Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times and threw for only 146 yards. Austin recorded 31 receptions for 372 yards and three touchdowns on 55 targets across 14 regular-season games in 2025, adding 15 punt returns for 101 yards. The 2022 fourth-round pick is slated to hit unrestricted free agency at the start of the new league year, and given his unremarkable body of work over his first four seasons, it's likely the Steelers allow him to explore the open market.

Austin had three receptions on seven targets for 55 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 26-24 win over the Ravens. Austin played the role of hero sans WR DK Metcalf (suspension) in Week 18 when he took advantage of a slip to the turf by Ravens cornerback Chidobe Awuzie in the final minute of regulation for the game-winning touchdown grab. The 26-year-old Austin was held to one reception for eight yards filling in for Metcalf last week, so this performance truly came from out of nowhere. Austin finishes the regular season with a 31-372-3 receiving line in 14 games, numbers that were good enough to register only with those playing in deeper fantasy formats. With Metcalf returning to action in the wild-card round of the playoffs, Austin possesses minimal upside for next Monday's tilt against the Texans.