The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new star wide receiver in DK Metcalf, but that would never have happened if the Seahawks had not become open to the idea of moving the Pro Bowler.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider revealed the team moved on from Metcalf after conversations with him because he made it clear he wanted to move on from the franchise.
“DK and I had very open conversations the last couple years about his future, and what that looked like and what he wanted. We always have to do what’s best for the organization, first and foremost,” Schneider said on ‘The Rich Eisen Show.’ “It was apparent that he wanted to move on, and so, when we got back from the Combine, we had some real, clear, direct conversations. And at that point, we decided it was probably best for both of us to move forward.”
On top of that, moving Metcalf was not salary or contract-related. It was all about Metcalf’s repeated trade requests and a desire to head elsewhere in the NFL after years of staying with the Seahawks.
“No, it really wasn’t [salary-related]. It was interesting because it wasn’t like animosity, either. It was like, he really, really wanted a fresh start,” Schneider said. “And it’s not like we went into the offseason thinking this would be a possibility, but he was just pretty dug into it. So it ended up working out for both clubs, working out for us and working out for Pittsburgh. We wish him the best. He’s a great guy and obviously a high-end competitor.”
A two-time Pro Bowler, Metcalf has shined with the Seahawks, and has connections to the Steelers. He played with Russell Wilson, whose moonball helped unlock Metcalf as a deep threat throughout his early years with the Seahawks.
Now, Metcalf will take over as the top wide receiver with the Steelers after they traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.