All of the new faces in Pittsburgh are certainly putting in overtime on selling the viability of Aaron Rodgers leading the Steelers back to the postseason heights they once enjoyed. Of course, in that effort, former Seattle Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf will play a huge role as the team’s No.1 receiving threat.
On his part, Metcalf is coming along with the rest of the Steelers offense after a rough start in training camp. As is typically the case, Pittsburgh’s defense has proved problematic to practice against. With Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay on the backend, it’s a unit that appears stronger than ever, clearing a high bar for Steelers defensive standards.
Having to face a former rival like Ramsey in practice every day, NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport and Steve Smith Sr. recently asked Metcalf about his thoughts on the Steelers' defense. Rapoport asked Metcalf for his opinion on his new defense in Pittsburgh, mentioning in the process the great defenses he had seen in Seattle.
DK Metcalf has high praise for Pittsburgh, but Seahawks fans might not like it
“Man, you don’t want my opinion cause I think they the best defense I done ever seen,” Metcalf said. “There’s some dogs everywhere on the field, and I tip my hat to them cause they come to work every day and, you know, we don’t have any other choice but to get better.”
It’d be easy for any Seahawks fan to feel a bit shaded by the response, especially with the great Seattle defenses mentioned in the process of the answer. There may be some shade, but whatever little there may be might be earned by the shadow Pittsburgh’s defense casts.
Smith asked Metcalf to compare the organizations prior to the defensive questions, but Metcalf shut it down, saying he doesn’t compare the franchises.
“I enjoyed a lot of my time in Seattle, and, you know, [I’m] thankful that they gave me the opportunity to put my mark on this league, but now my focus is here with Pittsburgh,” Metcalf said.
READ MORE: It's only training camp but a Seahawks rookie is making people doubt their senses
For what it’s worth, those Seahawks defenses that Rappaport may have been alluding to were a bit before Metcalf’s career took off in Seattle. He joined the team in 2019, but the Legion of Boom defenses had disbanded the year prior. Seattle’s defenses since then have been solid, for the most part, but not quite what Metcalf faces in practices in Latrobe this summer.
During his six seasons with the franchise, Metcalf never played with a top-10 scoring defense in Seattle, and only two top-12 scoring defenses, including last season. Pittsburgh has fielded five top-10 scoring defenses in the same period.
In fact, each Steelers defense ranked better than the Seahawks in points and yards every season since 2019, except for points in 2021, where the Seahawks ranked 11th and Pittsburgh ranked 20th.
Still, Seattle’s defense is looking to make its own improvements heading into the 2025 season. While the defensive backfield may not feature anyone quite like Ramsey, the Seahawks' young group of defensive backs will be keyed in on Metcalf when the Steelers and Seahawks meet in Week 2 in Pittsburgh.