The wait is over, Steelers fans. Pittsburgh finally acquired a big-name weapon. DK Metcalf is a Steeler. He requested a trade out of Seattle on Wednesday, March 5th and he ended up in Pittsburgh four days later. General Manager Omar Khan struck out on Brandon Aiyuk last offseason but he ended up with an even bigger prize in Metcalf.
Metcalf is a game-changing pass catcher in the NFL. If Pittsburgh can find a way to hang on to George Pickens, the two are one of the best duos in the entire league. If they can find a way to keep Pickens around, Pittsburgh’s offense will be more explosive than it has been in the past decade. Teams won’t be able to double both guys. Pittsburgh has to try to keep them together.
Last season, Metcalf caught 66 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games. It wasn’t his best season, but the big pass catcher has never had under 900 receiving yards in a single season. He has gone over 1,000 yards in three of his six seasons. In 2020, Metcalf posted 1,303 receiving yards and ten touchdowns on 83 receptions. In 2021 he had 12 receiving touchdowns. Pittsburgh has a demon.
Immediately upon being traded, Metcalf signed a five-year, $150 million extension that will net him $33 million per year. That’s the biggest contract in Steelers franchise history. The quarterback position is still a question mark, but they must have told Metcalf something that he liked. A reunion with Russell Wilson or Justin Fields could be imminent for Pittsburgh.
Metcalf gained 374 yards on go routes in 2024, the second most in the league behind Justin Jefferson. Since Metcalf entered the NFL in 2019, no pass catchers have more receiving yards on go routes than him. Whoever is under center for Pittsburgh next year better be ready to throw it deep. Somebody will be in single coverage. It’s impossible to double both Pickens and Metcalf.
Omar Khan went outside the box. The Steelers have never traded for an offensive talent to the magnitude of Metcalf. Mike Tomlin said changes were coming and this is a big one. It’s unheard of for Pittsburgh to make this kind of trade, but they finally pulled the trigger. They are finally getting with the times, stacking talent on the offensive side of the ball. In six years in the NFL, Metcalf has caught 438 passes for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns. He’s a playmaker.
If they can keep the duo together, the Steelers stumbled upon one of the most legal and most mentally unstable pass-catching duo in the NFL. Despite saying they were going to worry about getting a receiver after figuring out the quarterback position, this was too good of a deal for Khan and company to pass up. Metcalf should fit in nicely in the AFC North.
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