3 Steelers starters who could be benched with a bad training camp

Steelers starter who could get benched No.1: Allen Robinson

Depending on how Matt Canada tinkers with the slot receiver position, the third wideout job currently exists in flux. For instance, Pat Freiermuth and fast-riser Darnell Washington could be employed in more two-tight-end sets, eliminating the slot guy altogether.

Should Canada roll with a more traditional slot receiver, ex-Rams’ Allen Robinson II appears to be the favorite, as he has nearly a decade of experience, especially experience playing with less-than-stellar quarterbacks. Right now, Pickett fits that description.

Despite Robinson’s cemented versatility, 2022 fourth-rounder Calvin Austin III could earn the No. 3 wideout role with a tremendous, breakout-level camp. The do-it-all speedster missed his entire rookie season due to injury, but Austin returns in 2023 on a mission to establish a solid role in the offense.

The Steelers could even experiment with playing Austin out of the backfield to add a bit of spice and creativity to their humdrum offense — the opportunities are endless.

In 2022, the Rams couldn’t figure out how to use Robinson effectively, and maybe in 2023 the Steelers run into some snags with Robinson’s scheme usage, too. One or two preseason hiccups could give way to Austin to rise up the depth chart and earn himself a starting role, wherever that may be in the Steelers’ formation.