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The Pittsburgh Steelers hadn’t made any clear indications ahead of the official opening of free agency in March as of the morning of the 8th. Yes, there were rumors; there were murmurs. It wasn’t until Sunday evening, as fans continued to debate whether Pittsburgh was going to sign an outside quarterback or one that played for them in 2024 that a trade announcement shook up all future moves for the Steelers.
Per numerous sources, including Dale Lolley of Steelers.com, Omar Khan and the Steelers organization agreed to trade for former NFL and Seattle Seahawks standout receiver D.K. Metcalf.
We mentioned Metcalf as a trade the Steelers should consider, previously. Joe Kuzma wrote,
“Aside from financials, Metcalf is young and durable. He’s missed few games due to injury over his career, which includes three 1,000-plus yard seasons over six years, and he’s never caught fewer than 900 yards in a single season either. Pairing him with Pickens would be prudent for Pittsburgh, who needs to surround whomever their quarterback will be with viable offensive weapons.”
If the reports are true, indications are that the Steelers included a 2nd round pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft and may be swapping a 6th round for a 7th round pick this year with the Seahawks in order to have Metcalf in a reported 5-year, $150 Million deal. More info is likely to be verified this week.
TRADE: Seahawks trading DK Metcalf to the Steelers for a 2025 second-round pick.
Metcalf is signing a five-year, $150 million contract with Pittsburgh. (via @tompelissero, @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/fefRvz59Ud
— NFL (@NFL) March 9, 2025
The trade does change-up what the Steelers will be able to do in free agency and the draft. It may also indirectly resolve the biggest debate among members of Steelers Nation: Will it be Russell Wilson staying in Pittsburgh or Justin Fields?
With reports saying that Fields and the Steelers are not close in their negotiations and that Fields may be inclined to test the market, the Metcalf signing may have just let the cat out of the bag on who Khan and the Steelers organization were banking on: Wilson. Wilson built rapport with Metcalf while both were with the Seahawks; a dynamic offensive duo.
Whether the trade for Metcalf indicates that Pittsburgh would make a move to trade George Pickens away, yet another receiver many Steelers fans have labeled as “immature,” (JuJu Smith-Schuster, who seems plenty mature now) remains to be seen.
Pickens and Metcalf as an outside receiving duo would definitely cause opposing defenses concerns, but both receivers have big personalities – not to mention wearing the same jersey number. Pickens could actually benefit big time from having another receiver in Pittsburgh that is a threat in order to elevate his own play and create opportunities instead of double-teams all game, every game.
With the wide receivers group from 2024 in a questionable state, the team likely will trim several players from it to create cap space for other positions in the draft, focusing on the defensive and offensive line – for example – instead of receiver with their first round pick. I’ve advocated for the lines being more of a priority than receiver numerous times, and stick by that line of thought even more now.
With free agency ready to hit the boiling point, Steelers fans will have plenty of new talking points to debate as the organization reshapes itself after this latest shakeup.
Metcalf trade shakes up Steelers future moves appeared first on Steel City Underground.