The D.K. Metcalf situation has been sorted out prior to the beginning of the brand new league yr. 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 is able to tie him to the team through 2029, per Pelissero. Sixth- and seventh-rounders may also be flipped, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds.
One yr remained on Metcalf’s pact, and an enormous raise on his next deal was expected to come back on a brand new team. The 27-year-old had been connected to an asking price of $30MM, and he has comfortably been in a position to reach it. This latest deal carries an AAV of $33MM, making this an abnormally lucrative receiver investment on the a 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 highest of the market was all the time going to be difficult, though, and early today it was revealed the Seahawks’ asking price had come down. Wiling to just accept a second-round selection, the team has now met its goal of figuring 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 no less than 900 yards in each of his six seasons up to now – is the newest member of that group. He’ll 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 on the position, and a deal ahead of the trade deadline for Christian Kirk fell through because of his season-ending injury. Now, though, general manager Omar Khan has pulled off a serious acquisition.
George Pickens has flashed considerable potential during his first three years within the league, but issues related to effort and character have been raised inside and outdoors the organization. Pickens is a pending 2026 free agent, and his departure would result in Metcalf being increasingly relied on as the point of interest of Pittsburgh’s passing attack. While the likes of Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson are slated to operate within the slot, Metcalf and Pickens will each offer Pittsburgh’s to-be-determined quarterback with a pair of notable deep threats on the perimeter.
After all, this move will result in questions on 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 together with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in place as options for no less than 2025. Now that Metcalf is on the best way out, though, Smith-Njigba is joined by Jake Bobo and Dareke Young because 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 an element. Considering the opposite suitors likely in play, Pittsburgh doesn’t check either of those boxes as things stand. A Justin Fields re-signing may very well be in play, but he is ready to check 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. Quite than being paired with C.J. Stroud in Texas or Justin Herbert in Los Angeles, nonetheless, the Ole Miss product will head to Pennsylvania and await Pittsburgh’s QB move(s).
This move will release $10.88MM in cap space for the Seahawks while generating $21MM in dead money (h/t Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap). Metcalf will develop into one in every of the Steelers’ top cap commitments – on offense specifically – 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 in addition the trade which is able to send quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders. While the Steelers’ offense may have a notable addition in 2025, it very much stays to be seen how the Seahawks’ attack will appear next season.
