DK Metcalf is capable of greatness on the field. Seattle Seahawks fans know this. Pittsburgh Steelers fans are learning this. In Week 15 on Monday Night Football, Metcalf made a play that few other wide receivers can, and it was brilliant.
In the first half, with the Steelers leading 14-3 at the Miami Dolphins' 28-yard line, quarterback Aaron Rodgers dropped back to pass, threw the ball about 10 yards down the field to Metcalf. The receiver was in double coverage, but caught the pass, shrugged off one defender, weaved through several others, and outran the rest for a touchdown.
It was the exact kind of play that Metcalf's skill set implies he can make many times throughout the season. The truth is, however, that he doesn't. Though he is 6'4" and 230 pounds of strength and speed, he is extremely inconsistent with his production.
Steelers' DK Metcalf doing the things that Seattle Seahawks fans knew well
Against Miami, Metcalf had an excellent touchdown catch and run, but he only caught three passes. His touchdown was his first receiving TD since Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers. He finished with 55 yards receiving after having 148 in Week 14.
The issue is that in the seven games before that, he never surpassed 55 yards receiving in any game. For a player of Metcalf's raw athleticism, that is simply inexcusable.
Steelers fans watching the game likely thought to themselves after seeing Metcalf score against the Dolphins, "That's why we traded for him!" That is true. But Pittsburgh fans have also probably learned that the receiver tends to show a bit more in primetime games than in others.
For the Steelers to truly reach maximum efficiency offensively, they need a consistently good DK Metcalf. Seattle Seahawks fans know that won't be happening. He is great for two weeks, and then he disappears for two. One never knows when those games, either way, will be happening.
At Metcalf's current pace, he will finish with 981 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. That isn't enough production for a player who has a contract that pays him an annual average salary of $33 million through 2029. The good part is that the Seahawks don't have to worry about that.
Seattle was never prepared to pay DK Metcalf what the Pittsburgh Steelers were, and the wide receiver knew that and requested a trade. He made up meaningless reasons otherwise, but the truth is, he wanted to get paid. That's fair, as he plays a game to make a lot of money. He just needs to do a better job of earning that with high-end production.