The Pittsburgh Steelers sent shockwaves throughout the NFL Sunday night when they traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf. Metcalf, a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time second-team All-Pro, had been a productive player for the Seattle Seahawks. However, he requested a trade, and they obliged. The Steelers traded a second-round pick for him and are set to give him a huge extension. It’s not a move they’d typically make, but it does improve their roster. However, analyst Pete Prisco doesn’t think fans should be excited about it.
“What’s the Steelers’ identity?” Prisco asked Monday on CBS Sports YouTube channel. “They went totally out of character and made a deal for a wide receiver in DK Metcalf and then paid him $33 million a year. That’s not what the Steelers do.
“So, what’s your identity? Are they a power team? Are they a run team? They didn’t run the ball very well last year. They didn’t stop the run very well last year. When you look at the Steelers as we know them, they’re kind of straying from who they are as an organization and as a team. If I were a Steeler fan, that would worry me a little bit.”
That’s an interesting take from Prisco that many fans might not agree with. Over the past few years, the Steelers have felt stuck in place. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and most of their postseason losses have been blowouts. Despite that, the Steelers have been slow to change.
Near the beginning of this offseason, the Steelers made it clear changes would be coming. However, up to this point, that hasn’t really been true. Their coaching staff has remained relatively the same, and it seems like they wanted to run things back with Justin Fields or Russell Wilson at QB, although Fields is reportedly no longer an option. That’s left some fans puzzled as to how 2025 is going to be any different.
This trade for Metcalf is a big deviation from the norm for the Steelers, and that isn’t a bad thing. They had a huge need at receiver, and Metcalf was arguably the best option available. The Steelers did give him a huge contract, but he’ll have an opportunity to show he’s worth it.
Prisco is correct that this doesn’t seem to line up with the Steelers’ offensive identity. They’ve seemingly tried to be a run-first team. However, Metcalf should help with that. He’s a massive player who run blocks well. Also, with him and George Pickens, the Steelers should be able to properly stretch the field. That should give their running backs light boxes to run against.
There’s also the case of the Steelers not having a starting running back at the moment. It seems like Najee Harris is going to leave in free agency. That could allow the Steelers to tweak their offensive identity. Metcalf doesn’t preclude the Steelers from running the ball, though.
Prisco might think fans should be worried, but it’s way too early to say this is a bad move. It’s probably better to at least wait until the offseason is over. At that point, the Steelers’ direction should be clearer. However, the organization doing something different shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing just because it’s new.
