The Pittsburgh Steelers struck hard and fast this offseason in the days leading up to the legal tampering window, swinging a major trade for DK Metcalf, sending a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks to acquire the 27-year-old wide receiver before then giving him a new five-year, $150 million contract.
The Steelers weren’t the only ones in on Metcalf after the receiver requested a trade from the Seahawks on March 5. According to New England Patriots beat reporter Tom E. Curran, the Patriots were in on Metcalf, but the star receiver did not want to go to New England.
Appearing on WEEI’s Jones and Keefe Wednesday afternoon, Curran stated that the Patriots didn’t make an offer for Metcalf, because he didn’t want to go there in the first place.
“I kind of, in talking to you guys, made it sound more like they were never in on him [Metcalf]. I’ve come to find out that they…it was more of DK Metcalf. They had conversations and an offer was not made. That’s correct. But I’ve kind of been redirected from folks outside of New England…they were in on him,” Curran said of Metcalf and the Patriots, according to video via the show’s Twitter account. “They were trying…he didn’t wanna come here. So they were in on these guys. But there was kind of a sliding scale.
“But you want those guys that don’t necessarily wanna come here, so you have to pay through the nose to try and make it happen. And maybe even then, they still don’t wanna come here.”
Metcalf, during his introductory press conference, stated that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was a big reason he felt comfortable with the move to Pittsburgh at this point in his career. While the Steelers are still in limbo at the quarterback position — they are awaiting a decision from 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers — the situation still remained quite enticing for Metcalf. And he jumped at the chance to play for Tomlin and the team that showed interest in him dating back to the 2019 NFL Draft.
On paper, the Patriots might be a better situation. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye is in the fold already and showing signs of promise while head coach Mike Vrabel brings a renewed sense of excitement to Foxboro.
Ultimately, though, playing in New England with a young quarterback wasn’t something Metcalf was all that interested in signing up for.
It’s all a bit confusing from Curran, who stated that an offer was not made. It’s unclear if that was a trade offer to the Seahawks or if that was an extension offer to Metcalf. Regardless, that was a clear hold-up in the situation because Metcalf made it clear that even with the Patriots in on him, he didn’t want to play for New England.
Instead, he signed up to play for the Steelers, who despite their QB uncertainty have Mike Tomlin and some great defensive pieces in place that could help the Steelers compete in 2025 and beyond. They also have a talented young receiver in George Pickens to draw attention away from Metcalf, which could lead to an explosive season from Arthur Smith’s offense in 2025.
