The week before free agency began was shocking for the Seattle Seahawks. While the team was deciding how to create cap space to be active in free agency, two opportunities presented themselves. Wide receiver DK Metcalf and quarterback Geno Smith made trade requests.
For Metcalf, the request was reportedly not the first time he had asked to go elsewhere. General manager John Schneider rebuffed any inquiries until this offseason. That made sense as Metcalf had one year left on his contract and Seattle was unlikely to pay him what he wanted beginning in 2026.
Metcalf also reportedly wanted to go 1) to a place that was closer to contending for a Super Bowl than the Seahawks were, or 2) a franchise with a warmer-weather climate, or 3) a team with a better quarterback situation than Seattle had. (When Metcalf asked to be traded, the Seahawks still had Smith as QB1.)
Former Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf might regret being traded to the Steelers
Schneider dealt the wide receiver to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that fit none of Metcalf's wants. Pittsburgh has a solid team, but they certainly aren't closing to a championship like Seattle. While the Pacific Northwest is damp and chilly, it does not normally stay as cold as Pittsburgh. And the Steelers' quarterback situation is currently a mess.
Plus, now the wide receiver will have even less help with his new team. The Steelers will reportedly trade wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys for future draft picks. (The deal has not yet been made official, but is expected to happen soon.) Pickens has easily led Pittsburgh in receiving yards each of the last two seasons.
Not that trading Pickens or acquiring Metcalf makes much difference for the Steelers. The team has the worst quarterback situation in the NFL (the presumed starter would be Mason Rudolph) while they wait to see if aging quarterback Aaron Rodgers will sign with them.
The #Cowboys and #Steelers have a deal in place on a trade of George Pickens and it’s expected to be centered around a third-rounder and a late-round pick swap.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 7, 2025
Pickens is headed to Dallas. https://t.co/3rwQkmJROv
In other words, Metcalf is not getting any of his needs met. He was traded to a team that was less close to contending than it was in 2024. He has a far worse quarterback situation and a colder home city. Perhaps the mercurial receiver will not care, though. He ultimately got what he probably truly wanted.
That is to get paid. After the Steelers got him, the team signed Metcalf to a four-year, $132 million contract extension, with $80 million guaranteed. The Seahawks appeared to be trending toward not giving Metcalf that long of a contract, and not for as much money as Pittsburgh did.
If DK Metcalf really just wanted money, he's a winner. If he wanted any of the other parts of his request, he might regret asking to be traded after Pittsburgh trades George Pickens.