Steelers Have ‘Easy Button Option’ to Replace Injured Calvin Austin III: Reporter
PennLive.com's Nick Farabaugh argued the Pittsburgh Steelers should consider wide receiver Allen Lazard as a potential Calvin Austin III injury replacement.
The Pittsburgh Steelers received a positive injury update on wide receiver Calvin Austin III on Friday. But that doesn’t mean the Steelers couldn’t still target a receiver such as Allen Lazard on the NFL trade market.
PennLive.com’s Nick Farabaugh included Lazard on his short list of potential external possibilities to replace Austin.
“Another veteran who is not the focal point of the offense he plays in anymore, Lazard feels like the type of player who is the easy button option for the Steelers,” Farabaugh wrote. He brings a bigger, physical presence than the Steelers have in the room and the Aaron Rodgers connection is obvious.
Lazard is in his eighth NFL season. The 2025 campaign is the first season he isn’t teammates with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The receiver became teammates with Rodgers late in his rookie year. Lazard first joined the Green Bay Packers practice squad in December 2018. He made his NFL debut during Week 17 of that season.
Over the next four years, he became a regular contributor and starter for the Packers. Lazard followed Rodgers to the New York Jets in 2023.
What WR Allen Lazard Could Bring to the Steelers
Lazard remains a depth receiver in New York. He’s played just 66 offensive snaps while appearing in three games this season.
Farabaugh argued Lazard might be a better fit back with his old quarterback in Pittsburgh. The Steelers could benefit too.
“So far this season, Lazard has just three catches, and while he was eager to prove himself away from Rodgers it might be better for him to settle back into a comfortable pocket,” wrote Farabaugh.
There would be little learning curve for Lazard, too, which would help the Steelers get an instant boost of help to their wide receiver room.
Lazard’s best statistical season came in 2022 when he had 60 catches for 788 receiving yards. The 29-year-old caught a career-high eight touchdowns in 2021.
During 2021, Rodgers won his fourth MVP award.
Last season, Lazard had 37 catches for 530 yards. He also had six touchdowns, which was just one behind Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams.
Calvin Austin III Injury Update
Lazard would check a lot of boxes for the Steelers. Obviously, he wouldn’t need much time to get acclimated to Rodgers. But maybe most importantly, more than anything, Lazard would be cheap veteran insurance.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reported Friday that x-rays on Austin’s shoulder were negative. DeFabo added that he is unsure when Austin might return to the field.
It’s likely Austin missing some time. But if he’s only out a couple weeks, the Steelers are unlikely to acquire a receiver who’s going to supplant Austin in the starting lineup.
Pundits have encouraged the Steelers to make such a move. But the organization has repeatedly expressed confidence in Austin.
The Steelers also have 2024 third-rounder Roman Wilson on the roster. Wilson hasn’t received many opportunities this season. If the Steelers add a receiver through a trade this month, it should a potential upgrade but also a wideout who won’t stunt Wilson’s development if the 24-year-old suddenly begins to shine.
Lazard fits that description. Because of his NFL experience and rapport with Rodgers, he could be Pittsburgh’s WR2. But he also could fulfill a WR4 role.
The Steelers are potentially in the market for a receiver because Austin suffered a shoulder injury during Week 4. The wideout underwent testing at a Dublin hospital after sustaining the injury.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac initially reported Austin was expected to miss several weeks. But updates since then have been more positive.
One update came from Austin himself, where he said he was “all good” in a social media post.
Along with Lazard, Farabaugh named Buffalo Bills’ Curtis Samuel and Indianapolis Colts’ Alec Pierce as potential receiver options for the Steelers.
Yankees’ veteran has concerning acknowledgement: ‘I don’t really feel like myself’
TORONTO — Yankees reliever Luke Weaver has a pitch tipping problem.
The right-hander revealed after Saturday’s 10-1 shellacking in Toronto, a dud to start the Division Series, that he’s been struggling to make changes on the mound related to tipping pitches.
“There’s been adjustments I’ve had to make based off of things that people are seeing, and it just hasn’t really lined up,” Weaver said. “I don’t really feel like myself, I don’t feel like my mind is completely clear to go out there and attack.”
That’s not to say that Weaver was tipping his pitches against the Blue Jays on Saturday night. He only faced three hitters to start the seventh inning, charged with giving up three earned runs on a walk and two singles. It was déjà vu after Weaver faced the first three hitters in the seventh inning in a Game 1 wild-card loss to the Red Sox this past week. It’s rather the fact that he has all these adjustments on his mind while he’s pitching and that’s been leading, in part, to his poor performances.
“That’s really the issue now,” Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake said. “How much is it taking your mind away from actually executing pitches versus tipping. I think that’s the line you’re trying to avoid, basically putting too much on their plate and just letting them go out and attack the hitters.”
While Blake and Weaver didn’t give one specific outing or conversation as the source of this dilemma, it sounds like the right-hander has been navigating this challenge dating back to the final month of the regular season. Weaver insisted that he’s close — citing the fact that he’s not giving up home runs and has been burned by some batted-ball luck of late — but owned up to the fact that the “results haven’t been good.”
“There’s a feeling out there,” Weaver said. “There’s things that you’re seeing, there’s adjustments being made, there’s things that I can feel in what I’m doing that could be giving things. And so ultimately, it’s just got to be tightened and cleaned and go out there and give myself the best chance.”
At this point, with the way Weaver has been pitching in the playoffs, the reliever vowed to take a new approach moving forward.
In an effort to start executing his pitches again — and “keep [his] brain clean and clear” — he’s going to focus solely on pitching and not his tipping tendencies.
“Ultimately, I’m at a point where I’m just full send,” he said, “and none of that’s going to matter anymore. I’m going to do what I think is best for me and I’m going to go out there and attack the way I need to do.”
The Yankees certainly need Weaver to get back on track. They have the eighth and ninth innings seemingly locked up with Devin Williams and David Bednar, but other high-leverage spots are up for grabs.
Weaver’s manager, pitching coach and teammates all have confidence that he’s going to figure this out and get back to pitching at a high level in October. This team made it to the World Series last season because of Weaver’s dominance in October. They probably won’t get back there this year if he keeps this up.
“He’s a big part of this team, big part of this bullpen,” Aaron Judge said. “He helped us get to this point in the season and he’s going to have a lot of big moments for us in this postseason. I know it’s still early, things haven’t gone his way, but everybody in this room has confidence in him to go out there and do his job. He’s been a special piece of this team since he came over here. He’s one of the guys I want running out of bullpen in any big situation because I know he can handle it.”
