This is the year for the Pittsburgh Steelers to need wide receiver help. With a long list of expiring contracts, cap causalities, and trade possibilities, the biggest name just got added to the list. Seattle Seahawks WR DK Metcalf has requested a trade, according to multiple reports, and the team will reportedly “explore it,” per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That news will surely draw intrigue from the Steelers.
Rumors around Metcalf have existed since last summer and perked back up in recent weeks. It appears Metcalf is searching for a bigger contract after signing a $72 million extension in 2022.
The news comes directly on the heels of veteran Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett announcing he won’t return to Seattle in 2025. Jacksonville Jaguars’ veteran Christian Kirk is also being released.
A height/weight/speed unicorn, Metcalf has been a playmaker since being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2019. He’s caught 438 career passes for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns, making a pair of Pro Bowls over that span. Part of that time came with Russell Wilson as his Seattle quarterback, Metcalf spending his first three seasons with him before Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos.
In 2024, Metcalf caught 66 passes for just shy of 1,000 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 15 yards per reception. Still just 27 years old, he would be a major splash for Pittsburgh’s passing game.
Of course, it won’t come cheap in contract and likely draft compensation. It’s unclear what Metcalf could fetch in a trade, but it won’t be a low-level Day 3 selection. But Pittsburgh has cap space and cash to spend and dealing for Metcalf would remove the need to spend an early draft selection on a wide receiver.
Pittsburgh will need to get its quarterback situation settled before making a play for any receiver. That could come by week’s end, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Steelers have spent the offseason touting changes. So far, there have been few. Adding Metcalf would be the monster move to reenergize a frustrated fan base and breathe life into a stagnant offense.
