The Pittsburgh Steelers are not getting what they hoped they would from former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh traded for the wideout this past offseason and then signed him to an expensive extension. He hasn't upheld his end of the bargain.
While quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is about to be 42 years old and likely is in his final season in the NFL, didn't specifically drop Metcalf's name after the Steelers' blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 13, what the QB did say had all the earmarks of complaints that 12s had about Metcalf when he was in Seattle. He was physically gifted, but lacked in other areas.
In the loss, Rodgers completed just 10 of 21 passes for 117 yards and no touchdowns. Metcalf was targeted five times but caught just three of them for 32 yards. Truly elite receivers will find a way to help their quarterbacks when the rest of the offense is stagnant. Metcalf is not elite.
Aaron Rodgers might be miffed at former Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf
In his last seven games, the former Seahawks receiver has no more than 55 yards receiving in any game (and has 35 yards or less in four games) and one receiving touchdown. Not that he might really care. When he requested a trade from Seattle in 2025, he wanted to go somewhere that played home games in warmer weather, had a better QB situation, and was closer to winning a Super Bowl.
None of those are true about the Steelers compared to the current Seahawks. In reality, though, Seattle wasn't going to offer Metcalf an extension worth as much money as the receiver wanted, but the Steelers did. Metcalf is getting paid, and that's what he really wanted.
While the receiver isn't a bad person off the field, his work ethic could be questioned. He has the size and speed to be one of the five best receivers in the league, but he has never refined his route-running as much as he should. With a better work ethic, he would have.
So, when Aaron Rodgers said after losing to the Bills, "When there's film sessions, everybody shows up, and when I check to a route, you do the right route... We have our meetings every week. We have other opportunities outside of the facility, and (I) look forward to seeing all the boys there," Seattle fans know he doesn't have to mention Metcalf by name.
Obviously, the quarterback is also being slightly aloof when he says "do the right route," as he later answered questions about miscommunication with receivers on certain throws. Maybe the receiver didn't run the correct route. Perhaps DK Metcalf consistently isn't running the right routes because he isn't very productive.
Aaron Rodgers seemingly doesn't trust his wide receivers, and the best of them should have been Metcalf, but he hasn't been. He wasn't the best receiver with the Seahawks before he was traded, either. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had become that, and he's proven it in 2025.