We already saw several current and former players react to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ blockbuster trade for WR DK Metcalf last night, but this one is pretty fun from CBS Sports analyst and former Steelers CB Bryant McFadden. He found out about the trade live while on air and couldn’t hold back his excitement.
“I’m trying to keep composure because of the viewers that are watching us. I literally heard this when Russ [Thaler] read this to me, so you just got my natural reaction,” McFadden said after he threw both arms in the air with a big smile via CBS Sports HQ. “For a second-round pick. Let’s go Omar. Shouts out to Omar right now. I gotta send him a text right now. Mike T as well. Great job.”
The Steelers had been awfully quiet up until this point. As many teams were busy re-signing their own internal free agents or signing the already-cut free agents, the Steelers seemed to be sitting on their hands. Just like they did last year with the signing of Russell Wilson, the Steelers made a Sunday evening surprise to bring in one of the league’s top young receivers.
It was a bleak ending to the Steelers’ 2024 season, and the news cycles have not been kind to them since then. They didn’t make any notable changes on their coaching staff, which left fans without something to sink their teeth into in terms of hope for the 2025 season and beyond. This doesn’t fix everything, but it’s a good start, and it signals that the Steelers are going to be aggressive this year to improve their roster.
Metcalf reportedly wanted to go to a team with a stable quarterback situation. Could the Steelers have sold him on a bigger-than-expected move like signing QB Sam Darnold in free agency? I suppose we will find out later today.
“We got a go-getter to add to what we already have in terms of George Pickens because this was an offense in the Pittsburgh Steelers, they lacked playmakers,” McFadden said. “They didn’t have that guy outside of GP [Pickens] that you really had to devote extra attention to and kind of monitor.”
The Steelers have a real shot at having a viable passing attack for the first time in several years if Pickens sticks around alongside Metcalf.
For that reason, McFadden gave the trade an “A+++++” grade.
