The Pittsburgh Steelers made a significant move in free agency Sunday night, acquiring wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2025 second-round draft pick
The Pittsburgh Steelers made a significant move in free agency Sunday night, acquiring wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2025 second-round draft pick. As part of the deal, Metcalf has agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract extension, according to sources cited by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Additionally, the Steelers and Seahawks will swap picks in the sixth and seventh rounds of the 2025 draft, sources said.
Metcalf, 27, originally a second-round pick in 2019, had requested a trade last Wednesday as he approached the final year of a three-year, $72 million contract signed in 2022. With one year remaining on his deal, valued at $18 million, the Steelers moved swiftly to secure their new wide receiver on a contract averaging $30 million per year.
This extension places Metcalf among the highest-paid wide receivers in the league. Before this deal, only six other receivers had contracts worth at least $30 million annually. It also represents the Steelers’ largest financial commitment to an external free agent, surpassing last year’s three-year, $41 million deal for linebacker Patrick Queen.
Metcalf’s trade follows the Seahawks’ recent move to send quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. With these transactions, Seattle now holds five picks within the first three rounds of the 2025 draft, including No. 52 from Pittsburgh.
For the Steelers, Metcalf fills a pressing need for a dynamic pass-catcher to complement their wide receiver corps, which lacked depth beyond 2022 second-round pick George Pickens. In the 2024 season, Metcalf recorded 66 receptions for 992 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 15.0 yards per catch and 66.1 yards per game. His early-season production was notable, with nine targets per game before suffering an MCL injury in Week 7. Following the injury, he missed two games and saw his target share decline.
Since entering the league, Metcalf has averaged 1,054 receiving yards and eight touchdowns per season, maintaining a career average of 14.4 yards per catch. Meanwhile, Pickens, the Steelers’ top receiver last season, posted 64.3 yards per game and 15.3 yards per reception, with three touchdowns in an injury-shortened year.
Pickens is now eligible for a contract extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Steelers general manager Omar Khan previously stated at the NFL Combine that the team is eager to retain Pickens.
“I can tell you that he has a desire to be great,” Khan said via the team’s website. “He has a desire to be great here. We have a desire for him to be great and to be great here. But with respect to the contract, we won’t discuss that publicly. Usually, those matters are addressed at a later date.”
Beyond Pickens, the Steelers’ receiving group in 2024 was led by Calvin Austin III, who recorded 548 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 15.2 yards per reception. The team had pursued a top-tier wide receiver in the past, including their interest in Brandon Aiyuk last offseason before he signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the San Francisco 49ers. Additionally, Pittsburgh acquired Mike Williams from the New York Jets at the trade deadline, but his impact was limited after an early standout performance.
While the Steelers have upgraded their wide receiver corps significantly, uncertainty remains at quarterback. The team does not currently have a signal-caller under contract for 2025, with both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson set to become free agents. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Fields intends to explore his options before making a decision.
Wilson and Metcalf previously played together in Seattle, where Wilson served as Metcalf’s quarterback for the first three seasons of his career. The New York Jets have also shown interest in Fields, sources told Fowler.
With quarterback still a pressing need, Khan emphasized at the NFL Combine that resolving the position remains the team’s top priority. However, Metcalf’s unexpected trade request accelerated Pittsburgh’s roster-building process ahead of free agency.
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