The Pittsburgh Steelers have not sat still during the 2025 offseason. Things have constantly been changing with the roster and many new faces have arrived in the Steel City. The first major move of the offseason came when Pittsburgh completed a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire wide receiver DK Metcalf in exchange for draft capital. The agreement was certainly unexpected, especially due to the uncertainty Pittsburgh has at quarterback, but Metcalf will be suiting up in the black and gold for the Steelers during the 2025 season.
The arrival of Metcalf ultimately led to the departure of George Pickens. Fans were excited to see the duo, but Pittsburgh wound up trading Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys after the 2025 NFL Draft. It was a move that needed to happen, although it still upset a large portion of the fan base. Metcalf is now the unquestioned, number one wide receiver in Pittsburgh, and the offense is going to be relying on him heavily. He is going to see a lot of defensive attention, but he should still be able to produce.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently discussed Metcalf's production in an article, and he shared that he isn't as hopeful for the new wide receiver in Pittsburgh.
"Are the Steelers different? Yes. Are they better? Maybe a tiny bit," Barnwell wrote. "DK Metcalf is certainly a more reliable option than the now-departed George Pickens as the lead receiver, but after Metcalf's 1,303-yard season in 2020, he has averaged 1,030 yards per campaign and right above 2.0 yards per route run, producing at about the same rate as Michael Pittman Jr. and Amari Cooper. Those are good wideouts, but there's a perception that Metcalf's upside from 2020 looks more like a career outlier than a realistic expectation of what he's likely to do going forward."
A ton of offseason moves isn't always the recipe for success, but it certainly could be. The argument could be made that the Steelers got better on the offensive and defensive side of the football during the 2025 offseason, especially if some of the top rookies are able to produce. Pittsburgh has a chance to be better than it was in 2024, but it almost seems like a longshot due to the amount of new pieces and possible lack of chemistry.
Barnwell wrote about Metcalf and mentioned that he is more reliable than Pickens was, but he is not in the top-tier of wide receivers like some fans in Pittsburgh want to think. His best season came in 2020 when he hauled in 83 passes for over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, he has averaged just over 1,000 yards per season since then. Barnwell noted this is the same level of production as Michael Pittman Jr., who has played with below-average quarterbacks, and Amari Cooper, who is on the tail-end of his career.
Hopefully production is not an issue for Metcalf, and he and Aaron Rodgers are able to build a great on-field relationship. They have the potential to become one of the best duos in the league. Each player has some doubt surrounding them, and both will set out to prove that doubt to be incorrect.
Steelers' Other Wideouts Could Open Things Up For DK Metcalf
Two players that are going to be crucial to the success of Metcalf are Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Austin has been able to take considerable steps forward in each of the last two seasons, while Wilson has yet to be on the field enough to make an impact. He essentially red-shirted his rookie season in 2024, but reports have been promising about the young receiver coming out of mandatory minicamp and other offseason activities.
If those two receivers can be productive and attract some defensive attention, the offense will open up for Metcalf in Pittsburgh, which should lead to more production.
What do you expect from Metcalf in his first season with the Steelers?
