Steelers Could Make Another Punt Returner Change

The Pittsburgh Steelers had refrained from making Calvin Austin III their primary punt returner immediately upon returning from a shoulder injury in Week 8, but they may move him back into that role in the near future.

Undrafted rookie Ke'Shawn Williams has filled Austin's role since Week 6 and did so admirably, but Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that the team may consider switching back to the latter after the former muffed a punt in their Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

"As Calvin came back from injury, we wanted him to focus on getting back up to speed offensively," Tomlin said. "[Ke'Shawn] had done an above-the-line job in that space. But certainly, we'll look at it this week and make plans accordingly, given what transpired in the last game."

Oct 12, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Ke'Shawn Williams (85) returns the opening kick-off against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Williams' Performance as Punt Returner

Williams' initial audition as a punt returner for Pittsburgh came during the preseason, as he went for 70 yards on nine attempts.

The 23-year-old has flashed some upside in that role once he was signed to the 53-man roster following Austin's injury, even if his numbers don't jump off the page.

In total, Williams has returned 11 punts for 112 yards over five games, which comes out to a solid average of 10.18 yards. He's been consistent as well, with his longest return being 17 yards while his shortest is 11 yards.

His muff, which came at the 6:35 mark of the fourth quarter while Pittsburgh trailed Los Angeles 22-3, may lead him to lose the job for the time being, however.

Austin Deserves Punt Returner Role

Williams could certainly factor into the Steelers' future plans as a return man, and it's not even set in stone that he'll lose his hold on the role heading into Week 11, but Austin is a better option at the moment.

Though Austin's focus should be on reintegrating himself back into the offense, as Tomlin noted, he's now played in three games since returning from injury and should more or less be back up to full speed.

The 26-year-old has returned just two punts this season, which he's taken for a total of nine yards, but he had 28 attempts for 289 yards in 2024, which included a 73-yard touchdown against the New York Giants.

Considering Pittsburgh has lost three of its last four contests and now leads the AFC North by just one game over the Baltimore Ravens, it can't afford to continue making mistakes.

Though Williams was a solid replacement on punt returns, the Steelers would be wise to hand the reigns back to a veteran with more experience in Austin from here on out.

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