DK Metcalf is joining the Pittsburgh Steelers and signing a lucrative new contract.
Per NFL Network, the Seattle Seahawks are trading Metcalf to the Steelers for a 2025 second-round draft pick.
Metcalf will sign a five-year, $150 million contract extension with the Steelers upon joining them. The extension will include four new years and $132 million in new money and run through the 2029 season, per the report. Metcalf had one year and $18 million remaining on his previous contract.
The deal was agreed upon days after Metcalf reportedly told the Seahawks that he wanted to be traded.
Metcalf has played his entire NFL career with the Seahawks after they selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft. He has made two Pro Bowls and was named second-team All-Pro in 2020. At 27 years old, he remains one of the league’s better receivers in his prime and will provide a significant upgrade to Pittsburgh’s offense.
Metcalf requested a trade after taking a backseat to second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who emerged as Seattle’s No. 1 receiving option last season. After consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus yards including his 2023 Pro Bowl campaign (66 catches, 1,114 yards, eight touchdowns), Metcalf tallied 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns in 2024.
Smith-Njigba, a first-round pick in 2023, led Seattle last season with 100 catches for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. He was targeted 137 times, compared to 108 for Metcalf. It’s unclear if his reduced role played an impact in his trade request.
Who will throw the ball to Metcalf?
Metcalf joins a Steelers team with uncertainty at quarterback. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields split time at quarterback in Pittsburgh last season, and both are scheduled to become free agents at the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
Either could return on a new deal, but neither inspired much confidence while helming the league’s 27th-ranked passing attack in 2024. Metcalf has familiarity with Wilson, whom he played with for three seasons in Seattle.
The Steelers are expected to explore a field of free-agent quarterbacks that features Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers. Metcalf’s former team will also be on the market for a quarterback after the Seahawks traded Geno Smith to the Raiders on Friday night.
Whomever plays quarterback in Pittsburgh next season will have the luxury of playing with a talented receiving corps. Metcalf joins a Pittsburgh roster that already features three-year veteran George Pickens, who led the NFL with 18.1 yards per reception in 2023 and tallied 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns in 2024.
Finding a quarterback to maximize that talent remains the top priority in Pittsburgh.
