The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a couple of big additions this offseason. Just before free agency began, Pittsburgh sent a 2025 second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for DK Metcalf. Shortly after, Darius Slay was added via free agency as well.
Slay and Metcalf have their history, to say the least. Despite that, Metcalf has clearly impressed Slay, who spoke highly of him on Wednesday.
“Me and him [DK Metcalf] had a lot of great competition,” Slay said, speaking with Dave Lolley and Matt Williamson on SNR Drive on Wednesday. “We had played against each other one time before. But just watching him from afar, he’s amazing, man. Great deep ball threat, guy’s gonna attack the ball. Guy plays with a lot of passion, and he works… He’s gonna be one of the best in the business.”
‘Great competition’ is certainly one way to describe the history Slay and Metcalf have. Back in 2020, when Slay was a member of the Eagles and Metcalf the Seahawks, the two got into a squabble. Slay ended up receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after throwing a punch at Metcalf. While Slay hurt his team with the penalty, you’ve got to admire the courage to stand up to Metcalf, who’s certainly a larger figure.
That said, competition runs high in sports, especially when the players involved are professionals. Players get into squabbles constantly, and Slay has already mentioned that he harbors no ill will towards Metcalf, with the two playing for the same team now. That’s not even the only Steelers teammate Slay has history with. Last season, he got into it with Darnell Washington.
Washington has also stated that he’s not upset about that incident anymore either. Everyone’s on the same team now, and there is certainly work to do ahead of the 2025 season.
Slay is right that Metcalf should be an excellent addition for Pittsburgh. Last year, the Steelers had no depth at the position, and their WR1 was temperamental too often. They’re in a similar situation this year, but Metcalf feels like a step up from Pickens. Given the lack of depth, though, the Steelers will need Metcalf to produce consistently week in and week out.
As for Slay, he’s in a much different role. Now 34-years old, the Steelers don’t need him to be their star player on defense. That’s what they’ve got T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward for. What Slay does provide is a solid option on the opposite side of Joey Porter Jr, who Pittsburgh hopes Slay can be a mentor for.
If the Steelers have a good season in 2025, Slay and Metcalf will likely have contributed to it. It’s good to hear that Slay has moved past the grudge and is clearly excited to be on the same team with Metcalf going forward.
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