DK Metcalf chose poorly last offseason when he asked once again to be traded by the Seattle Seahawks. He wanted to go somewhere, it seems, that played home games in warmer weather, had a better quarterback situation, and was closer to winning a Super Bowl. Instead, he was moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Meanwhile, Seattle won a championship the season immediately after the wide receiver was dealt, and there is little doubt about which team has the better long-term quarterback situation. Sam Darnold has been quite good for two straight seasons. Pittsburgh is seemingly hoping that Aaron Rodgers returns for one more season before he retires.
According to a suggestion by Bleacher Report's Moe Moton, however, Metcalf might not even be in Pittsburgh long. In a recent article about players who could be traded or released after the 2026 NFL draft, Metcalf is among the group.
Former Seattle Seahawks star DK Metcalf linked to potential release or trade
Moton writes, "Metcalf is set to play out the rest of his deal, which runs through 2029, without guaranteed money. There's almost no chance that Metcalf plays another down on his current contract. The Steelers will need to rework his deal. Perhaps those negotiations have already begun. If not, Pittsburgh may prefer a wide receiver on a rookie contract over a seven-year veteran who needs a new one coming off an inconsistent season and a recent suspension."
While the above might seem a bit off, the truth is that Moton is correct. Metcalf's agent somehow let the wide receiver sign an extension with the Steelers after he was traded by the Seahawks, which gives the wideout no guaranteed money from 2026 through 2029.
Metcalf's signing bonus was $30 million, and he was guaranteed a total of $60 million at signing, but playing four straight years with no guarantee is a risk for the player. One that many Seattle fans might be surprised to learn Metcalf would take.
What he seemingly truly wanted was to be traded by the Seattle Seahawks to a team that was going to give him an extension at the price he wanted. General manager John Schneider didn't seem set to pay the wide receiver a lot of money in the future.
DK Metcalf was likely happy to get his money soon after being dealt to Pittsburgh, but he will have to earn the rest of his deal. He was a bit underwhelming in his first season with the Steelers, and after the team traded for Michael Pittman, Metcalf's targets aren't suddenly going to go up.
In 2025, the wide receiver finished with a career-low 850 yards receiving and 59 catches, one more than he career-low. Part of the issue was that he was suspended for appearing to punch or smack a fan during a game against the Detroit Lions. If the Seahawks needed more evidence that the team was wise to trade the receiver, that moment was it.
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