Is Calvin Austin III Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Steelers vs. Bengals)

The latest injury update for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III on Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III is set to miss his second game in a row due to a shoulder injury.

Pittsburgh has officially ruled out the 2022 fourth-round pick for Thursday night's matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Austin, who was injured back in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, has not played since, as the Steelers were on the bye in Week 5 before they beat the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.

Calvin Austin III (shoulder) ruled out for Thursday.

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 15, 2025

Austin has played an important role in this offense this season, catching 10 of his 17 targets for 139 yards and two scores. He's played 74.7 percent of the offensive snaps in the games that he's appeared in.

With Austin out, the Steelers will lean more on star wideout DK Metcalf to lead their passing game. Darnell Washington has also emerged as a key target for Aaron Rodgers with Pittsburgh out to a 4-1 start this season.

Here's a breakdown of my favorite prop bet for Thursday's action with Austin ruled out.

Best Steelers Prop Bet With Calvin Austin Out

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Earlier this week, I shared in SI's best prop bets for this game why Metcalf is worth a look on Thursday night:

DK Metcalf OVER 59.5 Receiving Yards (-112)

Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf are starting to find their groove together, as the star wideout had 126 receiving yards in Week 4 and 95 in Week 6. 

He saw a season-high nine targets in Week 6, and now he’s taking on a Bengals defense that has allowed the second-most passing yards (1,551) in the NFL this season.

Metcalf should be able to get loose against this secondary, and Trey Hendrickson's injury could be a major blow to the Bengals’ pass rush. 

Metcalf has cleared 59.5 yards in three of his five appearances this season, going for 83 or more yards in each of those games. 

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