It remains to be seen how the Steelers’ starting quarterback situation will play out for next season. Regardless of who is in place under center, though, D.K. Metcalf will face high expectations with his new team, Adam La Rose of Pro Football Rumors reports.
The Pro Bowl wideout was acquired via trade last week, giving the Steelers their long-sought-after upgrade at the position. A second-round pick was flipped to Seattle, with Day 3 selections also being swapped in advance of a massive extension being worked out. Metcalf (who was a pending 2026 free agent) is now attached to a four-year, $132 million extension in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers’ efforts to add a high-profile receiver date back to last year’s Brandon Aiyuk pursuit and the continued push to make a move at the position during the 2024 campaign. An acquisition on that front clearly remained a high organizational priority in Metcalf’s case, and The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports head coach Mike Tomlin was “very adamant” about trading for the 27-year-old. Pittsburgh ranked 27th in the NFL in passing yards last season, and a step forward in that regard would be key in improving on offense in 2025.
Finances were of course a factor in this situation. Talk of a Metcalf deal swirled even before his request to be moved went public, and the Seahawks lowered their initial asking price regarding a trade shortly before the Pittsburgh swap was worked out. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes the timing of the trade was affected by Metcalf’s desire to immediately ink a new deal. Seattle generally finalizes extensions during the summer (which is the case with other NFL franchises as well), so remaining in place for a few months may have opened the door to a third Seahawks contract.
On the other hand, Metcalf was known to be seeking a pact averaging at least $30 million per season, and Seattle may well have declined to make such a commitment at any point in the offseason as a result. The trade and Tyler Lockett‘s release have been followed by a Cooper Kupp contract and a new deep threat in the form of Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Those additions will be tasked with contributing to a WR room anchored by 2023 first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba now and well into the future. Metcalf, meanwhile, will represent a focal point in Pittsburgh’s passing attack regardless of what happens with George Pickens (who is entering the final year of his rookie pact).
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