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Calvin Austin III played his role in keeping the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season alive when he scored the game-winning touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens last week. Aaron Rodgers found Austin in the end zone for the go-ahead score with less than a minute to go, and Pittsburgh held on to clinch the AFC North thanks to a missed field goal from Baltimore in the dying seconds. As important as the final drive was, Austin admitted that he was thinking about the potential historical implications, given the uncertain future of Aaron Rodgers.
“I feel like there was maybe a moment I had to myself, like before we took the field for that last drive that I was like, look like, this is like some history on the line now. Which side of history do you do you want to be on now?” Austin said on The Insiders when asked about whether he was thinking it could be the final drive of Rodgers’ career.
Aaron Rodgers on Calvin Austin III #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/GJBvPLqTN7
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) January 5, 2026
“When we like took the field and he’s calling the plays that two-minute drive, we practice it so much that it was just second nature at that time. We’re not even thinking,” Austin said. “Obviously when I caught the ball, it was third down. So we only had two more downs to try to pick up a first down, or game over, you know? But in the moment, you’re not thinking about that. You’re just thinking about the play the defense, how you’re gonna run your route.”
Nothing has been confirmed concerning Rodgers’ future with the Steelers, and some reports suggest that Pittsburgh is open to a return in 2026. But given Rodgers’ age and his one-year contract, nothing is guaranteed. If Austin’s touchdown and the Pittsburgh victory never came to fruition, it’s fair to wonder what missing the playoffs would mean for Rodgers and the Steelers going forward.
Thanks to the clutch performances of Rodgers and Austin on the final drive, Pittsburgh finds itself with a home playoff game against the Houston Texans and a chance for Aaron Rodgers to add to his resumé. As Austin noted, that was far from a sure thing, as Pittsburgh was taking the field for the final time last week. Perhaps that is something Austin and his teammates will have in the back of their minds during the playoffs as they try to make the most of their time playing with a future Hall of Fame quarterback nearing the end of his career.
