PITTSBURGH — The Steelers made their first big move ahead of free agency when they traded with the Seattle Seahawks for two-time Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf, sources told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Metcalf, 27, was acquired for a second-round pick and will immediately upgrade a position that has been in desperate need of another receiver to pair with George Pickens. The Steelers also gave the Seahawks a seventh-round pick in exchange for Seattle's sixth-round pick this year.

Metcalf was scheduled to earn $18 million with a $4 million option in 2025, but he has agreed to a new five-year, $150 million contract with the Steelers, according to sources.

Sources said the deal to acquire Metcalf (6-foot-4, 235) also has nothing to do with Russell Wilson, his former teammate. It is the first of several moves the Steelers are expected to make beginning at noon Monday.

Metcalf was originally drafted by Seattle in the second round of the 2019 draft. In six seasons with the Seahawks, Metcalf has 438 career receptions for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Metcalf has been incredibly durable during his NFL career. He’s missed only three games in six seasons, including two games last season due to an MCL injury. He finished the 2024 season with 66 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns.

Metcalf got off to a torrid start last season, recording three consecutive 100-yard games in September. He was injured in a Week 7 game against the Falcons and missed the next two weeks. He returned for the final nine games, averaging 53 yards per game.

Metcalf played his first three seasons with Russell Wilson, who started 11 games for the Steelers last season. Metcalf’s best season came in 2020 when he had 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The next big question for the Steelers will be: Who will throw Metcalf the ball? As of Sunday night, the day before the NFL’s legal tampering period opens, they have not reached an agreement with either Wilson or Justin Fields, their starting quarterbacks from last season.

But the acquisition of Metcalf gives the Steelers two big-play receivers for whoever is under center. Metcalf will be paired on the outside with Pickens — assuming Pickens is not traded before the start of the season. Pickens, entering the final year of his rookie contract, led the Steelers in 2024 with 59 receptions for 900 yards and three touchdowns.

Calvin Austin III, who is also entering the final year of his rookie contract, likely slots in as the No. 3 receiver, and the hope is that 2024 third-round pick Roman Wilson can become a part of the rotation, as well. Wilson played in just one game last season and spent most of the year on injured reserve.

Metcalf was the biggest name on the trade market this spring, and Steelers GM Omar Khan landed him after he failed to seal the deal on a trade for a player to pair with Pickens last season. Khan was close to acquiring Brandon Aiyuk of the 49ers late last summer before Aiyuk decided to remain in San Francisco.

Khan seemed intent on landing a premier receiver this offseason when he spoke to reporters at the NFL combine two weeks ago.

“It's obviously a priority,” Khan said. “I'm not going to run from that. That's just a reality. We have some guys that are free agents, and we weren't good enough at that position. And so, we'll look at everything. ... Overall, we just weren't good enough. You’ve got to score more. The reality is you’ve got to score a lot of points in the league in 2025 football. You’ve got to score a lot of points, and we didn't score enough points. And there's a lot of reasons for that, and we’ve just got to be better.”

The Steelers had a top-10 scoring offense in early December, but they finished the season on a five-game losing streak and did not score more than 17 points in any of those games, which had not happened since 1969.

It’s also interesting that Khan traded for Metcalf before knowing who his quarterback would be in 2025. At the combine, Khan said the quarterback decision would determine the types of receivers and running backs the Steelers would go after in free agency and the draft.

Khan also said he hoped to sign either Fields or Wilson before the start of free agency, which begins at noon on Monday with the start of a two-day legal tampering period when teams can come to terms with free agents across the league.

In the end, the Steelers got their receiver before their quarterback. Now it will be up to head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to figure out ways to feed the egos of two receivers who want the ball in their hands as much as possible.

____

©2025 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.