The Pittsburgh Steelers made a big move this offseason to trade for DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks and extend him for $30 million a year, and with Aaron Rodgers seemingly likely to join the team, executives around the league have plenty to say about the Steelers' outlook for 2025.
“Rodgers with Pickens and DK, if it's not ‘Hard Knocks,' it had better be,” an exec said, via Mike Sando of The Athletic. “I can't think of a worse combination for all this to play out.”
It certainly will be a group that has plenty of personality, that's for sure, especially if George Pickens is still on the roster for 2025. Another executive did not agree with the move for Metcalf, saying it was significant draft capital, but the contract was too much as well.
“In what world do you look at DK and go, ‘Let's give that guy ($30 million) a year and trade a 2 for him?'” the exec asked, via Sando. “That struck me as, you are in on Brandon Aiyuk, you've been in on all these guys, you have not gotten them, and you finally found one. Maybe Tomlin brings out the best in him. I could see elements of why they like it. Pairing him with Rodgers seems odd.”
Another executive weighed in saying the Steelers have earned the benefit of the doubt somewhat due to their track record with wide receivers, but there is still some skepticism.
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“Any time Pittsburgh brings in a receiver, I'm tending to say, ‘OK, they have gotten it right more times than not, so they probably know something I do not know,'” another exec said, via Sando. “But I question the mix. Are we seeing the first signs of Pittsburgh panic?”
When it comes to the quarterback situation, another executive said that the Steelers usually just found a way to make it through a year before Ben Roethlisberger was drafted, and this might be a return to that norm with Rodgers seeming likely.
“Before Ben Roethlisberger, they always kind of just found a quarterback,” an exec said, via Sando. “They grouped together some talented guys, they had their own play style, their own culture and it just kind of worked most of the time. Are they back to that? Is that what we are seeing now?”
There is a wide range of opinions on the Steelers' offseason, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.