Even with the quarterback situation in flux, the Black and Yellow can hang their hat on a No. receiver. DK Metcalf is taking his talents to the Pittsburgh Steelers and inking a fat new contract.
According to NFL Network, the Seattle Seahawks are trading Metcalf to the Steelers for a 2025 second-round draft pick.
Metcalf will sign a five-year, $150 million contract extension with the Steelers upon his arrival. The extension will include four new years and $132 million in new money and run through the 2029 campaign according to the report. Metcalf had one year and $18 million remaining on his previous deal.
The contract was agreed upon days after Metcalf reportedly informed the Seahawks that he wanted out.
Metcalf has played his entire NFL career with the Seahawks after they selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft. He has made two Pro Bowl nods and was named second-team All-Pro in 2020. At 27 years old, he remains one of the league’s better receivers in his prime and will provide a significant upgrade to Pittsburgh’s offense.
Embed from Getty ImagesMetcalf requested a trade after taking a passenger seat to second-year standout receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who came out of nowhere as Seattle’s No. 1 receiving option last season. After back-to-back seasons with 1,000-plus yards including his 2023 Pro Bowl campaign (66 receptions, 1,114 yards, eight touchdowns), Metcalf tallied 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns in 2024.
Smith-Njigba, a first-round pick in 2023 out of Ohio State University, paced the Seahawks last season with 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. He was targeted 137 times, compared to 108 for Metcalf, which indicated a changing of the guard was in order. It is uncertain if his reduced role in the offense was a factor in his trade request.
Metcalf joins a Steelers team with questions at the quarterback position. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields split time under center in the ‘Steel City’ last season, and both are scheduled to become free agents at the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
Either could be back on a new deal, but neither jumped off the TV screen while anchoring the league’s 27th-ranked passing attack in 2024. Metcalf has familiarity with Wilson, whom he played with for three seasons in Seattle before he moved on to Denver.
The Steelers are expected to explore a bevy of free-agent quarterbacks that features Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers. Metcalf’s former team will also be on the market for a quarterback after the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday night.
Whoever plays quarterback in Pittsburgh next season will have the good fortune of playing with a dynamic receiving corp. Metcalf joins a Pittsburgh roster that already features three-year veteran George Pickens, who led the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception in 2023 and hauled in 59 catches for 900 yards and three scores in 2024.
Finding a quarterback to maximize that talent remains the top priority in Pittsburgh.
