Will the Steelers get No. 1 WR production out of DK Metcalf under Mike McCarthy?
The Steelers made a huge investment in DK Metcalf last year, and thus far the return on investment is underwhelming. In his first year here, he caught 59 passes for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown, or at least that’s how the league officially classified it.
Those aren’t bad numbers, but it’s not what you expect from the investments Pittsburgh made. The Steelers gave up a second-round pick for DK Metcalf and then signed him to a five-year, $150 million contract. He is still 28 years old, so it’s not like he is past his peak and it’s all downhill from here. But how much different will things be this year?
Since the 2025 season, HC Mike Tomlin resigned and nearly all of his coaching staff departed as well. Now Mike McCarthy is the Steelers’ head coach, and he is effectively their offensive coordinator rather than Arthur Smith, who loves tight ends perhaps a little too much. Will the Steelers’ offense under McCarthy better cater to production for a guy like Metcalf?
It’s worth noting that, in his first season with the Steelers, Metcalf saw fewer targets per game than any year since his rookie season. With 99 in all, he drew just 6.6 targets per game. His mark of 7.2 per game the previous season was already his lowest since his rookie year, hitting 8 twice.
While the Steelers’ offense has changed, though, will DK Metcalf still have the same quarterback? Pittsburgh still seems to expect Aaron Rodgers to return, and that might be the biggest limiting factor. It’s unclear what the ceiling is for an Aaron Rodgers-led passing offense in 2026, but it may be underwhelming.
We can, in theory, predict that the passing game will be stronger with Arthur Smith gone. And the Steelers brought in Michael Pittman Jr. at wide receiver, a much stronger No. 2 option for Metcalf. But will he put up No. 1 WR numbers? Is an 80-catch, 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown season an unrealistic expectation for him at this point?
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin resigning.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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