When DK Metcalf requested a trade from the Seattle Seahawks early in March, it was reported that there were several reasons he wanted to go. One of those is that he wanted to go to a team with a more established quarterback situation. This was odd because Seattle still had quarterback Geno Smith at the time.
Maybe Metcalf knew that Smith wanted out, too, and that the team was close to trading the quarterback to the Las Vegas Raiders. Metcalf, like almost every 12, knew that if Smith was going to go, backup Sam Howell surely was not a real answer for QB1. Of course, the wide receiver could not have known that the Seahawks were going to sign Sam Darnold, either.
Still, Metcalf could not have been overly happy, at least in theory, to be moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers because they were about to have no proven quarterbacks on their roster. It helped that he nearly immediately signed a five-year and $150 million extension (money almost always helps soothe any wounds), but he still wasn't getting all his reported wishes.
Former Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf is working hard to recruit Aaron Rodgers
Besides the quarterback situation, the receiver wanted to join a team that played in a warmer climate (Pittsburgh is not that) and one that was closer to contending. Arguably, the Steelers are no closer to winning a Super Bowl than Seattle.
The Steelers still don't have a quarterback, but they have been linked to Aaron Rodgers for the entire month. Rodgers was released after spending two fruitless seasons with the New York Jets. While he is now in his 40s, there is little doubt that a Rodgers and Metcalf connection would be better than anything the Steelers have had in recent seasons.
Of course, Rodgers has yet to sign anywhere, but based on something that happened this weekend, he might be close. According to the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Metcalf and Rodgers spent some time together as the quarterback was throwing passes to the receiver. Maybe the receiver was doing his best to recruit the quarterback even further into potentially signing with the Seahawks.
The bad part for Metcalf is that Seattle could easily have a better long-term quarterback situation than the Steelers if Darnold works out well. However, the Seahawks were never going to pay Metcalf the money that the Steelers did, which is likely the real (unspoken reason he wanted to be moved.