When the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired DK Metcalf, they got more than just a talented wide receiver. Metcalf has emerged as a leader for the offense, and Calvin Austin III detailed [on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3OqzC3dOdc) that Metcalf has been sending the pass catchers detailed scouting reports on the opposing cornerbacks they’re going to face.
“That just shows you what type of guy DK is, though. He’s a true pro,” Austin said. “He even last week sent out the scouting report of all the corners. What they are good at, their strengths, weaknesses, what routes are good against, he does all that. DK is a pro’s pro.”
It’s not just the receivers whom Metcalf is sending reports to. After the Steelers’ Week 1 win on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers said Metcalf sent him a report of what he saw from watching the Jets on tape.
“I told him way back a long time ago, give me a report on Monday of game week, Monday or Tuesday, about how you see things going the week and what you like, and kind of forgot about it. And then on Tuesday, guess what I got? I got a text message with his thoughts, and it wasn’t a short one. He put a lot of time into it,” Rodgers said.
It’s the little things that will make the Steelers a better football team. Metcalf’s attention to detail and spending extra time putting together reports to make the offense better is huge. I highly doubt that George Pickens was putting together detailed scouting reports to send to the room last season, and Metcalf is elevating Pittsburgh’s offense besides his obvious talent on the field.
With the Steelers set to play his former team in Week 2, he has a little bit of an advantage when it comes to scouting Seattle’s cornerbacks since there’s a lot of carryover from when he was on the team. It’s the same players he went up against each day in practice, and knowing their strengths and weaknesses can help not only him but players like Austin and Pat Freiermuth and Roman Wilson.
A star player doesn’t just become a star on talent alone. It takes dedication and putting in extra work, and Metcalf is leading by example. He’s showing his teammates the extra detail and work it takes to reach his level. He is also helping them elevate their game with the work and detail he’s putting into his reports.
The Steelers’ passing game looked as good as it has in years in Week 1, and Metcalf deserves a lot of credit for its success. Having a true leader and No. 1 receiver in the room is already paying dividends, and it could lead to big things offensively for Pittsburgh.