Steelers Secure DK Metcalf in Major Free Agency Move

PITTSBURGH – In a bold move to kick off free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers made headlines Sunday night by snagging wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks. The trade, finalized for a 2025 second-round draft pick, includes a lucrative five-year, $150 million contract extension for Metcalf, sources revealed to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Additionally, the teams will swap picks in the 2025 sixth and seventh rounds.

At 27, Metcalf was originally picked in the second round of the 2019 draft and recently expressed a desire to be traded as he approached the conclusion of a three-year, $72 million deal he signed in 2022. Despite having one year left on his $18 million contract, the Steelers swiftly moved to lock down their newly acquired wideout with a contract averaging $30 million per annum.

This contract places Metcalf among an elite group of wide receivers and stands out as one of the most significant investments by the Steelers in free agency. Prior to this, only six other wide receivers commanded contracts of $30 million or more annually. The highest expenditure for the Steelers on an external free agent before Metcalf was a three-year, $41 million deal for linebacker Patrick Queen in the previous free agency period.

Metcalf’s move comes on the heels of another major trade by the Seahawks, who sent quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders. With both trades finalized, Seattle now commands a strong position in the 2025 draft with five picks in the first three rounds: 18, 50, 52 (from Pittsburgh), 82, and 92 (from Las Vegas).

Acquiring Metcalf allows the Steelers to finally secure the explosive playmaker they’ve been coveting, enhancing a wide receiver lineup that was seeking depth and star quality beyond 2022 second-round pick George Pickens. In 2024, Metcalf’s performance included averaging 15.0 yards per reception and 66.1 yards per game, totaling 66 catches for 992 yards and a personal low of five touchdowns.

Metcalf showed stronger performance during the season’s first half, receiving an average of nine targets per game. However, an MCL injury in Week 7 sidelined him for two games, after which his target average dipped to just under six per game for the remainder of the season.

Since entering the league in 2019 as the Seahawks jumped up to draft him from Ole Miss with their final pick in the second round, Metcalf has averaged 1,054 receiving yards and eight touchdowns each season, with 14.4 yards per reception. In contrast, Pickens, the Steelers’ leading receiver in 2024, averaged 64.3 yards per game and 15.3 yards per catch, catching three touchdowns over an injury-curtailed season.

The Steelers’ hunt for a high-caliber wide receiver stretches back to the previous off-season when they pursued Brandon Aiyuk of the 49ers. Aiyuk, however, decided to remain with San Francisco, securing a four-year, $120 million deal. Adding to their roster, the Steelers acquired wide receiver Mike Williams from the New York Jets during the trade deadline for a 2025 fifth-round selection, though he made limited impact beyond a crucial game-winning catch against Washington shortly after joining.

Even with this significant upgrade at wide receiver, the Steelers face uncertainty at the quarterback position for the 2025 season. Both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson are set to become free agents as the new league year commences on Wednesday afternoon. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Fields is inclined to explore free agency thoroughly before committing to a team.