The D.K. Metcalf situation has been sorted out prior to the start of the new league year. The Pro Bowl wideout is headed from the Seahawks to the Steelers, as first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Providing details on the move, Pelissero notes Seattle is acquiring a second-round pick from Pittsburgh. Regarding the extension Metcalf will sign upon arrival, an historic financial commitment has been made. The Steelers are authorizing a four-year, $132MM deal which will tie him to the team through 2029, per Pelissero. Sixth- and seventh-rounders will also be flipped, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds.
One year remained on Metcalf’s pact, and a massive raise on his next deal was expected to come on a new team. The 27-year-old had been connected to an asking price of $30MM, and he has comfortably been able to reach it. This new deal carries an AAV of $33MM, making this an abnormally lucrative receiver investment on the part of the Steelers.
Not long after Metcalf’s trade request was issued, it was reported Seattle was aiming for a first-round pick and more in a swap. Finding a suitor willing to pay that and commit to an extension near the top of the market was always going to be difficult, though, and early today it was revealed the Seahawks’ asking price had come down. Wiling to accept a second-round selection, the team has now met its goal of working out a deal prior to the draft.
Prior to today, six receivers were attached to a deal averaging $30MM or more. Metcalf – who has recorded at least 900 yards in each of his six seasons to date – is the latest member of that group. He will face major expectations upon arrival in Pittsburgh, a team which was connected to a high-profile receiver pursuit all of last offseason. The Steelers were unable to land Brandon Aiyuk or other impact players at the position, and a deal ahead of the trade deadline for Christian Kirk fell through due to his season-ending injury. Now, though, general manager Omar Khan has pulled off a major acquisition.
George Pickens has flashed considerable potential during his first three years in the league, but issues related to effort and character have been raised inside and outside the organization. Pickens is a pending 2026 free agent, and his departure would lead to Metcalf being increasingly relied on as the focal point of Pittsburgh’s passing attack. While the likes of Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson are slated to operate in the slot, Metcalf and Pickens will each offer Pittsburgh’s to-be-determined quarterback with a pair of notable deep threats on the perimeter.
Of course, this move will lead to questions about Seattle’s WR setup moving forward. As expected, the team released longtime pass-catcher Tyler Lockett (not long before Metcalf’s trade request), leaving the latter along with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in place as options for at least 2025. Now that Metcalf is on the way out, though, Smith-Njigba is joined by Jake Bobo and Dareke Young as the only receivers currently on the roster.
Metcalf was linked to preferring a destination with a warm climate, with QB stability also being named as a factor. Considering the other suitors likely in play, Pittsburgh does not check either of those boxes as things stand. A Justin Fields re-signing could be in play, but he is set to test the market. The Texans were recently named as a landing spot Metcalf would have welcomed, and earlier Sunday Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler reported the Chargers were also high on his list. Rather than being paired with C.J. Stroud in Texas or Justin Herbert in Los Angeles, however, the Ole Miss product will head to Pennsylvania and await Pittsburgh’s QB move(s).
This move will free up $10.88MM in cap space for the Seahawks while generating $21MM in dead money (h/t Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap). Metcalf will become one of the Steelers’ top cap commitments – on offense in particular – over the course of his deal, although the structure of the extension will dictate the changes made to his scheduled 2025 cap hit. For Seattle, this move shortly follows not only the Lockett release but also the trade which will send quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders. While the Steelers’ offense will have a notable addition in 2025, it very much remains to be seen how the Seahawks’ attack will appear next season.
Finally!
I’m not wild about this commitment tbh
Not really the possession receiver they needed
Maybe trade Pickens now
Chances of Russ staying just went up, assumedly
Still a cool pickup tho
I would not be shocked at all to see Pickens dealt and they sign someone like Cupp. They are not going to pay GP more or the same as Metcalf next year.
Zero chance George Pickens gets a contract anywhere close to what DK just signed. DK is a superior receiver in every aspect of the game compared to Pickens. He has also put up far better stats then Pickens has across the board.
I think it points to Wilson will be back, and Pickens is definitely gone. Tomlin says it all the time, no hostages.
Seems to be direction things are headed.
Although no one saw this DKM trade ending in black & gold
I mean, a few of us thought that it was a good possibility. Aaron Masser basically predicted the terms in the previous D.K. thread, when NumberofTheBest posed a hypothetical Pickens-for-Metcalf scenario. The Steelers have been checking out every available wideouts for the last two cycles at least, and this draft is pretty uninspiring. I think it’s a good move, personally.
It’s doubtful, but if Wilson does come back in some scenario, he’ll have a familiar face to throw to. I’m not predicting that, nor am I endorsing it, but it’s just one thing to consider. Really, whomever the Steelers start should benefit from this move, and, hopefully for Pittsburgh, Pickens can see some easier coverages with two outside big play threats. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pickens traded, but I also don’t necessarily think that that’s the plan right now. Metcalf isn’t old, but he’s also 27. The Steelers could trade Pickens, of course, but I don’t see them trying to do so right now.
I could be overthinking this “target underneath” thing in Arthur Smiths power-spread offense
Maybe GP13 & DKM are a perfect combo for it with twin TEs underneath
They really need a RB for this to work tho, and are now down a Round 2 pick.
I’d start mocking Omarion Hampton to them Round 1 unless they can get a pick back
Nice we could only get a single second round pick out of this
I was expecting late first round or 2nd+3rd but I guess his contracts too big
Must be a hefty contract because that is not the warm climate he wanted.
Maybe he can get a terrible blanket to keep warm
So much for wanting to play somewhere warm
If he wanted somewhere warm he would want to go to the warm place obviously
Signed a 5/$150M extension.
4/$132M. I stand corrected
Not sure I’d want to spend that much money and a second on Metcalf, but if they keep Pickens, that’s quite a physical duo for other teams to deal with.
Not sure if Pickens’ ego could handle it though
You don’t say an before the word historic
You do though…
You should.
An historic is correct.
What an hysterical post!
You can say both actually.
It’s more common to say a historic event but it was acceptable to say an historic event as far back as the 1920s 1940s
But yes typically a (blank) is the correct way to write when a word begins with a consonant instead of a vowel, but even then there’s exceptions
Like you’d typically a university not an university even though university starts with a vowel the fact it makes a yoo sound makes a university sound more grammatical correct
Also you’d typically say an hour has passed not a hour has passed cause the h is silent which makes the “our” sound, hence why an hour is the prefer grammatical choice.
Wow, love we got Metcalf so we definitely need to get the qb situation settled asap.
Woohoo!
Holy snap they actually did it and homie got paid too!!!
Just wonder if this means Russ is brought back
I wonder what number he wears I doubt Pickens gives up 14. Maybe 11 or 8??
Or trade Pickens and make him someone else’s problem.
Maybe
Why? Now they have two big guns
He’s gone from a bad qb environment to another bad qb environment. He’ll be frustrated again by season end, just more paid to act like a punk
Love it!!!!
But who’s gonna throw to him?
Darnold or Rodgers.
Naw. I’m betting Russ
Good move for Pittsburgh. Always liked DK coming out of college. Hes going to get paid and also play with Russ again I believe. Not a bad day for us NFL fans.
I said many times during the Aiyuk thing that he was not worth trading for but that Metcalf would be.
In a perfect world it would have cost a bit less, but OK.
They needed a guy like this very very very badly and got him.
Also, I bet the timing is not coincidental. They now have a WR1 to pitch to Fields or Darnold or whoever.
Uhh schefter says it’s 5 years 150 mil
1. Im a DK fan, but I don’t love the price. The second round PLUS the contract seems reckless to me.
2. Its nice to have a stud to pair with the knucklehead Pickens – but are they really banking all this on a run at Darnold? If they dont have a QB, whats the point?
Idk – I wanna appreciate the aggression but I see big opportunity for this to be a tad too reckless.
I want my Bills get upgrade at WR, but Im perfectly content to let another team do this trade.
I thought a second round selection was always in the realm of possibility, but I think the fact that your Bills might’ve been chasing the same target probably pushed Pittsburgh to do it.
Pittsburgh has enough talent on the team that I like the aggressiveness from them. The Quarterback position in Pittsburgh is, of course, a huge question mark. With Metcalf in the fold, I think it makes the job both easier and more desirable, though. Time will tell.
You speak is if there are a plethora of talented QBs to be had this offseason.
Another wideout the Pats missed out on.
Too bad there’s no one to throw it to him
I always get sad when the season ends – but I love NFL FA period.
About this move because it goes against the grain that is this organization but worthless if there’s not a half decent QB to throw the ball
Patriots needed to do this, only way it’s excusable os if Metcalf said he wouldn’t sign an extension here
DK tough receiver belongs in AFC North. Will help Steelers compete with Ravens for division title. Is Russ still getting paid by Broncos? If so bring him back as starter and let Fields walk. Russ can still ball as long as o-line holds up and
Pickens grows up. Tomlin will straighten him out or unload him.
Now refrain from giving a 30 y/o undersized DE $40M and go win the AFC north
WR is not a difference making position. It’s comical they get paid as such.
It’s a far greater difference making position than DE, and look what dumb Cleveland just paid Garrett.
Both of these takes are insane.
I’m going to vehemently disagree with you on that. Case in point, look at how Brown transformed the Eagles fortunes.
You have to have some guys that can catch the football and create offense.
Pittsburgh probably overpaid a little with the pick, but they did what they had to in order to get it done.
What the hell, Patriots?! You have the most cap space, the biggest need to sign a WR, a high 2nd rd pick to offer, and an inate inability to draft WRs yourself, so what gives? This gift was dropped in your lap and you blew it. Waiting on the “we were in on Metcalf” bs explanation.
The only question is where is George Pickens going and how much they’re going to get for him. Steelers are done with him.
Does this mean they will bring back Russ considering Russ and Metcalfe played togther. Russ has been there a year and would have a head start over any other QB they bring in.
DK and Pickens account for too many flags. I think they trade Pickens.
The packer just let 2 number 1 go off the board! Time for a new Gm that want to win because with that core of receivers , it be one and done ! your 2nd round pic this year is Metcalf ! godie sits on his hand and plays with himself other get better! a second that a steel for a one and Adams u lose him too! Are you going to get us some players we need to get over the hp and on the play off? who going to throw the damm ball to him ARod?
Adams wasn’t coming back to GB. He was west coast bound the entire time having played college ball up at Fresno State
umm… who’s the RB?
Good riddance!