The Pittsburgh Steelers brought in WR DK Metcalf this offseason to be their main offensive weapon. And he’s definitely made some highlight plays during the first half of the season. But he hasn’t put the numbers up that Steelers fans were hoping for.
So why hasn’t DK Metcalf been mentioned among the top wide receivers in the NFL? Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo says that no one person is responsible. But it hasn’t gone the way anyone has hoped.
“The bottom line is they’re paying this guy $150 million, and he’s not putting up numbers like a No. 1 receiver,” Fittipaldo said Tuesday on The North Shore Drive podcast. “I just think, sometimes, No. 1 receivers have to be able to beat double coverage. The only aspect that we’ve really seen that’s been explosive is the stuff over the middle and the catch and run. Other than that, we haven’t really seen a lot of No. 1 receiver qualities out of the guy through the first half of the season.”
Metcalf has caught 32 passes on 54 targets for 502 yards and five touchdowns through nine games this year. That’s the same number of touchdowns as he had in 2024 with the Seattle Seahawks. He has 14.7 yards per catch this year, tied for second-best in his career.
But Metcalf’s numbers are quite low compared to some of the best in the league this year. Metcalf is tied for 29th in the league in receiving yards. He’s tied for 14th in receiving touchdowns. And he’s tied for 43rd in targets. None of those are No. 1 receiving numbers. Yes, he’s the top receiver on the Steelers. But that’s different from being among the elite receivers in the league, which is Fittipaldo’s point.
And Fittipaldo says it’s because Metcalf struggles against double coverage.
“Antonio Brown did it for years,” Fittipaldo said. “Ben Roethlisberger knew that Antonio Brown was going to be bracketed, but he would put it in a window, or he would put it in a place where he knew Antonio can go up and get it. And I just don’t see that from DK Metcalf. Aaron [Rodgers] took the blame for that fourth-down pass in the end zone, fourth and six. He said, ‘I should have looked to the other side,’ or ‘I put it in a bad place.’ But to me, if you watch that play, DK goes up for it and kind of puts one hand up. I’m not going to say he gives up on it, but it wasn’t really like a contested catch, 50-50 ball where a receiver’s going to go get it.”
Now, the example Fittipaldo uses is a questionable one at best. Our own Alex Kozora broke down the fourth-down play in question, and it’s honestly a good point to use in the argument that Metcalf’s struggles are due to more than just Metcalf himself. First off, the play call is not a good one.
The Steelers have the ball at the Chargers’ 6-yard line, and the ball is on the right hash. Metcalf is lined up to the offense’s right. The play they run is an end-zone fade, and this allows the first defender to use the sideline as another defender. Plus, the Chargers have a safety lined up on the numbers to the right. Metcalf has essentially three defenders on the play. Then, rather than throw the ball toward the sideline, Rodgers tries to fit it in between the two Chargers defenders. And Metcalf releases to the corner’s outside.
Yes, Metcalf only stretches out one arm to try to make a play on the ball. But that’s because he cannot get his other arm through the corner because the ball is placed to the inside shoulder of the corner. It was a bad play call, and the throw was in an area Metcalf couldn’t quite get to.
Does that mean DK Metcalf is absolved of all issues this season? No. Per Pro Football Focus, Metcalf has three drops on the year. That’s not a ton, but his drop percentage is 8.6. That’s the third-highest mark of his career. And among the 59 wide receivers with 30+ targets this season, he’s 22nd in the league in drop percentage.
So, how do the Steelers get more production out of DK Metcalf? Better play calls and more consistent production out of the rest of Rodgers’ receiving options certainly would help. But for now, the Steelers will continue to try to get chunk plays using Metcalf’s size and speed, which has been successful at times this season.
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