Even though they don’t have a starting quarterback, that didn’t stop the Pittsburgh Steelers from making a big splash this offseason. Before free agency opened, they executed a huge trade for the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf. Metcalf is a great player, but it seems like a confusing trade for a team without a quarterback. Former NFL receiver Brandon Marshall would dislike the Steelers’ trade for Metcalf unless they re-sign Russell Wilson.
“With Russ [Wilson], it would be an A,” Marshall said Monday on his podcast, I Am Athlete. “DK Metcalf to the Steelers. They keep Russell Wilson; it’s an A. Without him, it’s a D. Why do I say that? DK Metcalf just finished up year six. His first three years in the league, I personally was talking about him as a top-five wide receiver. Since Russ left, he hasn’t even been in the top ten conversation.”
It’s fair to disparage the trade because the Steelers don’t have a quality starter under center. Paying a receiver that much money seems foolish if you don’t have someone to throw him the ball. However, the Steelers don’t need to re-sign Wilson just because he used to play with Metcalf.
Indeed, Metcalf had arguably his best season with Wilson as his quarterback. The two were together on the Seahawks from 2019 to 2021. Not all of those years were Metcalf’s best, though. In 2020, he had 83 catches for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was named a Second-team All-Pro and made his first Pro Bowl. However, in those other two years, Metcalf didn’t even record 1,000 yards.
That doesn’t mean he wasn’t successful. Metcalf fell just short of that mark both times, and he had 12 touchdowns in 2021. In his first two seasons with Wilson, he had over 1,000 yards. He also recorded 90 catches in 2022, a career high.
Did Metcalf’s field-stretching capabilities mesh perfectly with Wilson’s fantastic deep ball? Yes, but Wilson isn’t that same player. That was clear last year. He can still throw a good deep ball, but he’s lost many other aspects of his game. Expecting Metcalf and Wilson to pick up where they left off would be foolish.
Wilson is 36 years old, and his best days are far behind him. He’s also among the best free-agent quarterbacks left, although that’s not saying much. The Steelers could reunite him with Metcalf, but that shouldn’t drastically improve a person’s opinion of the trade.
It would still leave the Steelers with a mess at quarterback. The Steelers had a major weakness at receiver, and Metcalf helped fix that. It gives them flexibility if George Pickens leaves next year. Quarterback is a separate problem, and it’s unlikely Wilson will solve that.
