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The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reported x-rays came back negative for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with a couple new potentially significant injuries during their bye week. But it’s possible the ailment to wide receiver Calvin Austin III isn’t as bad as initially expected.

The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reported Friday that x-rays to Austin’s shoulder came back negative. DeFabo called the update “good news” and stopped short of reporting that the receiver will definitely miss games.

“I do not know yet if he’ll miss time with injury or not,” DeFabo wrote. “If he does, this could be [Roman] Wilson’s best chance to prove that he deserves a bigger piece of the pie moving forward.”

Austin left last Sunday’s Week 4 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. He underwent further evaluation at the hospital in Dublin.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported a day after the injury that Austin was “expected to miss at least several games.”

Will Steelers WR Calvin Austin III Miss Any Time From Shoulder Injury?

It’s probably wishful thinking to hope Austin doesn’t miss any games. While DeFabo wouldn’t confirm that’s going to happen, Dulac’s report suggested an IR stint was likely for receiver.

But with x-rays negative, Austin could avoid the injured list and return sooner than originally expected. It helps that the Steelers are on a bye for Week 5, and Austin is receiving an extra week of rest.

In four games this season, Austin has posted 10 catches for 139 yards with two touchdowns. He had two receptions for 13 yards before exiting in Week 4.

Austin broke out with 36 catches and 548 receiving yards, averaging 15.2 yards per reception, last season. Although his statistics don’t look incredibly impressive yet in 2025, Austin is averaging more receptions and receiving yards per game than a year ago.

Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb

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