Pittsburgh Review

The Pittsburgh Steelers have secured wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks through a trade. This acquisition is seen as an enhancement to the Steelers' receiving corps, addressing a need identified since the 2024 offseason.

Metcalf, who recently turned 27, has established himself as a prominent figure among NFL wide receivers. Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 235 pounds, he presents a formidable challenge for opposing cornerbacks. His athletic prowess was evident at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash and achieved a vertical leap of 40½ inches. These feats set records for players over 225 pounds.

In his six-year NFL career, Metcalf has consistently delivered strong performances, accumulating at least 900 receiving yards each season and exceeding 1,000 yards on three occasions. His standout year was in 2020 when he caught 83 passes for 1,303 yards and scored ten touchdowns with Russell Wilson as quarterback.

During the previous season in 2024, Metcalf recorded 66 receptions for 992 yards and five touchdowns over fifteen games. Throughout his career, he has amassed 438 catches for a total of 6,324 yards and scored forty-eight touchdowns in ninety-seven out of one hundred possible games. His average stands at fourteen point four yards per reception, which increased to fifteen in the last season.

Metcalf's postseason record is also impressive with twenty-six receptions for four hundred fifty-one yards and five touchdowns across four playoff games—averaging nearly one hundred thirteen yards per game.

The addition of Metcalf alongside current outside receiver George Pickens positions the Steelers to have one of the most dynamic starting duos in the league. In their respective roles during the last season, both receivers primarily operated split wide routes with substantial air target averages and significant downfield target percentages.

Metcalf notably ran vertical routes on more than half of his plays last year—marking it as his highest rate—and secured third place in yardage gained on such routes within the league.

Drafted as a second-round pick in two thousand nineteen—just ahead of Steelers' Dontae Johnson—Metcalf ranks high among peers from that draft class like Terry McLaurin and A.J. Brown across various metrics including receptions and touchdowns.