Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Speedy WR Next Up for Extension?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been proactive in handing out extensions to some of their homegrown players on both sides of the ball over the past year or so, and it appears one of their wide receivers could be next in line for a pay day.
During a Steelers chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Gerry Dulac stated that he believes it’s likely Calvin Austin III is in order for an extension from the organization after the 2025 campaign concludes.
“Yes, he is next up more than likely,” Dulac wrote.
After posting a total of 2,541 yards and 22 touchdowns on 156 catches from 2018 to 2021 at the University of Memphis, where he was teammates with Kenneth Gainwell, the Steelers selected Austin in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
He did not play as a rookie, however, due to a foot injury that eventually landed him on season-ending injured reserve. Austin returned in 2023 and appeared in all 17 of Pittsburgh’s games, finishing with 17 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown while playing 374 offensive snaps.
The 2024 campaign was where Austin displayed his true potential, though, starting eight of the Steelers’ 17 contests while recording 548 yards and four scores on 36 receptions. He also had a 73-yard punt return touchdown vs. the New York Giants in Week 8.
Austin has become even more integral to Pittsburgh’s offense this season, playing 75 percent of the unit’s snaps when healthy, per Pro Football Reference, while racking up 139 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches.
He went down with a shoulder injury in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, though, and he’s in danger of missing a second-straight game in Week 7 vs. the Cincinnati Bengals while on the mend.
Outside of DK Metcalf, who the Steelers acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in March and immediately handed a four-year extension worth $132 million, Austin is the only receiver on the team’s roster who has proven himself to be a reliable weapon at the position.
As Pittsburgh’s primary punt returner, he’s become a valuable component of what the team does on special teams as well. Considering the organization has struggled to put together a complete receiver room with adequate depth over recent years, it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to let a homegrown player like Austin walk in free agency this upcoming offseason once his rookie contract expires.
Though an extension would likely cost upwards of $10 million in average annual value, that’s a price worth paying for the Steelers. Austin is still just 26-years-old and only seems to be growing within Arthur Smith’s offense, and he’d lay a strong long-term foundation at receiver next to Metcalf should he ink a new deal with the team.
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Pittsburg softball improved to 16-4 on the season by sweeping host Kansas City Piper 17-1 in five innings and 15-3 in six innings Saturday afternoon.
Breck Slaughter earned the win in both games. She allowed one run on two hits with 10 strikeouts and two walks over five innings during the opener. Then, she allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks over three innings.
AnnaLynn Hudson pitched the last three innings of the day for the Purple Dragons.
Offensively, Pittsburg scored 17 runs on 20 hits during the opener and all nine Dragons reached the hit column. Kenleigh Warford led with four hits, Breck Slaughter and Micah Gomez each had three and Brecken Campbell, Brette Pasteur, Laney Trisler and Emily Shriver each had two. Slaughter, Trisler and Gomez each doubled twice and Pasteur and Shriver also recorded two-baggers. Brilee Mantooth homered. Gomez led the Dragons with four RBI, Campbell had three and Trisler, Mantooth and Shriver drove in two each.
The Dragons closed out their sweep with 15 runs on just 11 hits. Pasteur had a monster performance at the plate with four runs scored, three hits in three at-bats, two home runs and five RBI; she also worked a pair of walks and proved to be an utter pain for Piper pitchers Reagan Asbury and Harper Cordill.
Campbell also homered and finished with three hits for the Dragons. Slaughter and Shriver both finished with two hits and both seniors doubled.
Pittsburg won four games during the week and outscored Labette County, Independence and Piper by a combined 59-11. The Dragons return to Southeast Kansas League play on the road Monday against Independence; the Dragons beat the Bulldogs 14-1 in five innings last Thursday in Pittsburg.
The Dragons are looking to wrap up at least a share of the SEK League title.
Pittsburg 612 44 — 17 20 0
KC Piper 000 01 — 1 2 5
Breck Slaughter and Peyton Morey; Stella Utter and Ginny Garcia. W: Slaughter. L: Utter. 2B—PHS: Slaughter 2, Brette Pasteur, Emily Shriver, Laney Trisler 2, Micah Gomez 2; KCP: Faith Flournoy. HR—PHS: Brilee Mantooth.
——
Pittsburg 225 105 — 15 7 2
KC Piper 100 101 — 3 6 6
Breck Slaughter, AnnaLynn Hudson (4) and Peyton Morey; Reagan Asbury, Harper Cordill (5) and Faith Flournoy. W: Slaughter. L: Asbury. 2B—PHS: Slaughter. HR—PHs: Brecken Campbell, Brette Pasteur 2; KCP: Ginny Garcia.
This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/
Pittsburg, PA
Steelers insider just poured gasoline on the Aaron Rodgers fire following latest report of what he was doing in Pittsburgh
Aaron Rodgers was supposed to be in Pittsburgh over the weekend, with the thought that a deal would get done. One Steelers insider backs the report, but adds details that only compound a messy situation.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
At this point, the events of the past two seasons between Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers could probably be a book or movie. Everything from walks on the beach, to him throwing with DK Metcalf before signing, to someone capturing him driving a rental car into Pittsburgh has made waves.
This offseason was supposed to be different, and a decision from Rodgers was supposed to come much earlier. However, the Steelers remain in a holding pattern, and one that many believed would end over the weekend, after it was reported that Rodgers would be in town to sign a contract. Well, that seems to be true, but like much of this saga over the past two years, there seems to be a holdup.
Aaron Rodgers 2025 stats
- 3.4 TD to INT ratio.
- 3,322 passing yards.
- 65.7% completion percentage.
Aaron Rodgers visited Pittsburgh, but not the Steelers over the weekend
“Aaron Rodgers has been in town for a couple days, but the Steelers have not met with him yet and instead have been talking with his agent. Rodgers has stayed away from the team’s South Side facility while the three-day rookie minicamp has been going on.” – Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The news from Dulac comes on the heels of the report from 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh that Rodgers would be visiting the Steelers over the weekend, with the intention to sign his deal.
That report was backed up nationally by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, but some in Steelers media (Mark Kaboly) said that if Rodgers was going to be in town, that was news to the team.
Omar Khan said as much during a radio hit after the reports surfaced, saying that he didn’t know where Rodgers was, but that talks remained fluid. Of course, general managers, including Omar Khan, have been known to bend the truth, which seems to lie somewhere in the middle here.
The bottom line with Aaron Rodgers
It’s obvious to me that the Steelers and Rodgers are held up over money. I know that it was said to not be the case, but you don’t intentionally avoid meeting with a team and have your agent talk to them, just days after they use a tender that determines your 2026 salary, if you’re just going to sign.
I would be surprised if Rodgers doesn’t sign at this point, but it doesn’t change the monetary situation that needs to be worked out here.
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