The Pittsburgh Steelers are making moves. In an offseason with a lot of questions on the offensive side of the ball, the Steelers answered one of them. They have been looking to change the dynamic of their offense and have found the guy to do just that.
The Steelers have reportedly acquired All-Pro WR DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. While they will need to address the quarterback position in the coming days, for now, they have found their newest offensive weapon.
The Steelers’ Newest All-Pro: DK Metcalf
In a frenzy of NFL offseason moves on the eve of the legal tampering period to open free agency, the Steelers went out and got a proven No. 1 receiver in Metcalf, who is 27 years old.
He only had one year left on his deal in Seattle and recently requested a trade. The Seahawks granted his request — a few days later, he is headed to Pittsburgh with a big contract on the way, as reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Blockbuster: The #Steelers are acquiring two-time Pro Bowl WR DK Metcalf from the #Seahawks, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
Metcalf, 27, is also expected to get a new contract, while Seattle gains flexibility and draft capital as they continue to retool. pic.twitter.com/j1LirVN5hw
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 9, 2025
Seattle was willing to move off of Metcalf and was looking to gain some financial flexibility and draft capital. They did exactly that by getting out of Metcalf’s contract and future extension while also landing a 2025 second-round pick in return.
The Seahawks just traded their quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, and Metcalf’s move to Pittsburgh signifies the beginning of a new era in Seattle.
The #Steelers are sending their 2025 second-round pick to Seattle for DK Metcalf, who is signing a new five-year, $150 million contract with Pittsburgh. The $33M new money average makes it the largest deal in franchise history. https://t.co/ATissmZkZi
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 9, 2025
For the Steelers, they will be making a huge commitment to Metcalf as he is signing a five-year, $150 million deal, according to Pelissero.
Metcalf is getting the extension he wanted. He will be a huge piece of the Steelers’ offense next season alongside George Pickens on the outside. They expect him to be their franchise WR for many years to come as his new deal is the largest in Pittsburgh’s long history. Pickens and Metcalf are set to be one of the more exciting receiver duos to watch next season.
Pittsburgh’s Offensive Outlook Next Season
The main question that remains for Pittsburgh is under center. Currently, they do not have a starting quarterback, and that needs to be answered and solved. Pittsburgh may have just become an even more attractive situation for a quarterback with the acquisition of Metcalf. Bringing back Justin Fields or Russell Wilson could be in the cards, but other veteran quarterbacks could be in the mix.
The Steelers have been searching for the answer to their quarterback woes since Ben Roethlisberger retired. They need to find the answer to finally rack up some playoff wins, but the Metcalf acquisition will help big time in improving the offense outside of the QB position.
Metcalf is a one-time All-Pro receiver who just fell short of 1,000 receiving yards last season with 992. But in his six NFL seasons, he has never had less than 900 receiving yards in a season and has three over the 1,000-yard mark. His production is consistent, and he has stayed healthy for a majority of the games in his career. Metcalf can affect the game all over the field as a threat to beat defenses over the middle or the top.
Looking at Pickens — who had 900 yards receiving last season as the No. 1 option in Pittsburgh — and pairing him with Metcalf, both can draw attention away from the other and vice versa, creating better matchups for each other.
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Pickens has a 1,000-yard receiving season under his belt so the potential for the two of them to be a dominant duo is there. They will put pressure on defenses and be a very tough assignment for cornerbacks.
Metcalf is a Steeler — get used to saying it because he will be for years to come with his five-year deal. The Steelers’ offense just became a lot more dynamic and versatile, looking to improve on their 25th-place finish last season in PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
Pittsburgh will have an interesting team next season. The question remains whether they will make a big quarterback splash, but Pittsburgh is on a mission to start the offseason.
What’s Next for Pittsburgh?
The Steelers look ahead to free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, when they will have further opportunity to bolster their squad. Obviously quarterback is the most notable position of need, but according to PFSN’s NFL Team Needs, Pittsburgh also has holes at cornerback, offensive tackle, and running back, as well as a third wide receiver.
The Steelers have several key free agents like Donte Jackson, Dan Moore Jr., Wilson, Fields, Najee Harris, and Jaylen Warren (RFA), who all appear in PFSN’s Top 100 NFL Free Agent Rankings. However, they likely won’t be able to keep them all if they do opt to bring any of them back.
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If the Steelers look toward the NFL Draft, they have plenty of opportunities to fill team needs. Some of the top cornerbacks in the NFL Draft who they may be in range for include Benjamin Morrison, Azareye’h Thomas, and Maxwell Hairston, among others. As for running backs, they could find a bruiser in Quinshon Judkins or Kaleb Johnson to replace Harris or a speedster in Dylan Sampson or TreVeyon Henderson to replace Warren.
In PFSN’s latest seven-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft, NFL Draft analyst Ian Cummings mocked Texas DB Jahdae Barron to Pittsburgh in the first round, saying, “With a need at nickel and on the boundary across from Joey Porter Jr., the Pittsburgh Steelers could stand to benefit from Jahdae Barron’s addition. What he lacks in high-end size, Barron makes up for it with his blistering play pace, versatility, and instincts over the top of route stems.”
Cummings also gave the Steelers Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor (though that may change post-Metcalf trade), Florida State DT Joshua Farmer, and Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II, all of whom could be immediate contributors.