Steelers' wisest WR move was staring them in the face before DK Metcalf trade

Going from a pedestrian combination of Van Jefferson and Mike Williams to Metcalf will be a difference as clear as night and day. Like George Pickens, Metcalf offers an explosive skill set as a boundary wide receiver who can win deep and box defenders out down the field.

Unfortunately, the trade didn't come without significant cost to the Steelers.

In order to get Metcalf in the black and gold threads, general manager Omar Khan was forced to send Pittsburgh's second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft (pick 52 overall) to the Seahawks. Not only this but as part of the deal, the Steelers were forced to turn around and pay Metcalf $30 million per season on a five-year contract.

While we can all admit that the Steelers are a better team with Metcalf, there was a better option on the table that Pittsburgh should have done instead.

The Pittsburgh Steelers should have signed Davante Adams in free agency and passed on DK Metcalf trade

If you ask the average fan, they might tell you that they would rather have DK Metcalf over Davante Adams any day of the week. Metcalf is just 27 years old and in the prime of his career with more football left ahead of him.

But in this league, it's all about windows and building a roster that will bring lasting success. For these reasons, signing Adams in free agency would have been a better choice.

Adams is 32 years old and coming off a season in which he played just 11 games. But his age is hardly a factor for the Steelers in their current state. Cam Heyward will turn 36 years old this offseason while T.J. Watt will turn 31 in October. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh just gave a one-year, $10 million fully guaranteed contract to 34-year-old cornerback Darius Slay.

Furthermore, the Steelers are doing everything in their power to get Aaron Rodgers to sign with them this offseason. All of these signs point to a team with a 1-2 year window before their best players are either retired or past their prime and Pittsburgh will need to tear down to the studs and start over again.

Adams' age is a non-factor for a team (somewhat naively) in a championship window now. But that's just the first part of it.

In addition to being in full-blown win-now mode, Adams would have been the better choice over Metcalf because he's simply a more well-rounded wide receiver. Though he doesn't have the wheels he once did, Adams is still a mastermind at setting up cornerbacks and finding a way to make plays with a terrific combination of hands and top-notch route running.

Over the next two years (which goes back to the window we are looking at) Adams could prove to be the better player. Adams also would have come at a cheaper cost for Pittsburgh. The veteran wideout signed for Just $22 million per season compared to $30 million per year.

Perhaps the biggest factor in all of his is that the Steelers could have held onto their pick had they won a bidding war for Adams' services in free agency instead of trading for DK Metcalf. Even if you believe that Metcalf is slightly better, would you rather have Metcalf by himself at $30 million per year or Adams at $22 million plus a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?

We could be looking at this DK Metcalf trade a year from now convinced that the Pittsburgh Steelers did the right thing. However, there's no question there was an option on the table that made more sense. Signing Davante Adams in free agency would have lined up perfectly with Pittsburgh's championship window while allowing the Steelers to keep a valuable second-round pick.