Steelers Now
If there’s one thing that general manager Omar Khan taught us this offseason, it’s that these are not your father’s Pittsburgh Steelers. The organization made several splash moves, including trading for defensive back Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith, but their largest investment was actually made on the offensive side of the ball. By trading for and subsequently extending DK Metcalf, the team was banking on the two-time Pro Bowler being the alpha that could take this passing game to another level. So far, the results have been fairly underwhelming for a number of different reasons, which are worth discussing in great detail.
Over the first three weeks of the season, Metcalf is averaging just 45 receiving yards per game, a 30% decrease from his career to date. Admittedly, we are working with extremely small sample sizes in September, and he hauled in a pair of touchdowns in tight windows near the goal line. One of the pros to his professional profile is that his season-long production has been remarkably consistent, partially due to how the 6-foot-4, 230-pound freak takes care of his body in the offseason, leading to him being available for all but three games during his time in Seattle. But after forking up a second-round draft pick and a $150M contract extension, the Steelers are looking for more than just consistency—they’re expecting greatness.
3rd & 15 right before halftime.
Metcalf sells the corner before breaking to the post and splits the safeties for a TD.
Classic Geno dime. pic.twitter.com/VmBww65gBA
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) March 10, 2025
This move was a swing for the fences, not typically associated with the Steelers’ way of doing business. By doing this, the franchise was making a bet that there was untapped potential just waiting to be unlocked in a new environment, one orchestrated by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Thus far, the process and execution are equally as confusing.
One change to Metcalf’s deployment has been their obvious desire to get the ball in his hands quickly off the snap via screens, RPO’s and underneath routes. He’s always been big, fast, and capable of powering through tackling attempts from smaller defenders, but the Seahawks never seemed to make this a priority earlier in his career. The results on those plays have been positive, with the best example coming against the Jets in week one, where Metcalf made someone miss before scampering to a 31-yard gain that was virtually all created on his own accord. On that play, he hit 21.25 MPH, the sixth-fastest time of any ball carrier this season, according to Next Gen Stats.
The addition of those quick hitters certainly makes sense on the surface, but the absence of big plays down the field makes you scratch your head. Despite missing two games last season due to injury, Metcalf still led all NFL receivers in receptions of 20+ air yards, hauling in half of his 32 targets. In 2025, he has as many...
