Pittsburgh Steelers fans finally got the receiver news they've been waiting for. On Sunday, the team agreed to land Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf, with an extension tacked on for good measure. On Thursday, the second day of the new league year, pen hit paper.
The Steelers officially traded for an extended Metcalf, sending their 2025 second- and seventh-round picks (Nos. 52 and 223) to the Seahawks for receiver DK Metcalf, a sixth-round pick (No. 223), and the right to sign him to pay him like an elite receiver.
Pittsburgh will call it a five-year, $150 million deal. However, he's actually signed to a four-year, $132 million contract that will kick in after the $18 million he'll make in 2025 from his prior extension.
Instantly, Metcalf became one of the most expensive receivers in the league. Only Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb can claim to boast bigger deals on the boundary by total and average annual value ($33 million).
This is, fairly unanimously, a good move for the Steelers. But it does complicate their relationship with receiver George Pickens.
Pickens and Metcalf combine to make one of the league's most talented receiving duos. Few, if any, can match the kind of size, speed, and strength, that render them jaw-dropping talents. If the Steelers can find a real quarterback – or at least one willing to look downfield consistently – a fun offense might be possible for the first time in years.
Yet, Metcalf might be the least-compatible receiver in the league to Pickens. Perhaps that doesn't matter, and elite physical talent will simply win out. But that doesn't make it any less weird of a fit. Pro Football Focus' charting shows Pickens saw 30 percent of his targets more than 20 yards downfield, posted upwards of 30 yards per reception on those passes, and caught 36 passes for 283 yards on passes between zero and nine yards downfield. Alas, 30 percent of Metcalf's targets were 20+ yards downfield and earned over 30 yards per reception, and 284 yards came on those short passes.
Which one will be asked to sacrifice and leave their comfort zone for the benefit of the offense? The first sense of compromise came on Thursday, at Metcalf's initial pressure. He'll wear No. 4, and Pickens No. 14, which the former chalked up to the legacy that's already been forged in Western Pennsylvania.
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Pickens is entering a contract year in a bear market for receivers. The Steelers could franchise tag him to keep him around for another year, but long-term, two receivers of such similar skill sets don't mesh.
These two receivers, on paper, aren't an ideal fit. Trading Pickens remains possible, but unlikely given the tantalizing upside the room possesses.
Needless to say, Pittsburgh got better on offense with this move. Just how much better – and for how long it lasts – could shape the Steelers' future.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 3:20 PM.