The Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason when they acquired star wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2025 second-round draft choice and additional pick swaps.
During the latest edition of the "3 & Out Podcast," Seahawks general manager John Schneider touched upon how he ended up shipping such a dynamic playmaker to the Steelers back in March.
"Pittsburgh, [Steelers general manager Omar Khan], those guys were really aggressive," Schneider said, as shared by Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Metcalf reportedly wanted either the Houston Texans or Los Angeles Chargers to get a deal done regarding his services. As ESPN's Brady Henderson explained, however, the Seahawks "had to find a trade partner that would not only give them enough compensation in return but also be willing and able to sign Metcalf to a new deal."
Metcalf could've ended up with the New England Patriots but reportedly didn't want to commit his future to that organization. He ultimately inked a five-year, $150M contract extension as part of the Steelers trade.
Both Metcalf and former Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson played under head coach Pete Carroll with the Seahawks until Seattle pushed Carroll into an advisor role after the 2023 season. The Seahawks hired former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to serve as Carroll's replacement in January 2024.
"In regards to DK, we had a ton of conversations last offseason about his legacy and where he wanted to go," Schneider added during the podcast. "Once he met the new coaching staff, he was excited. And then this year, it just happened, and again, you can’t change the way people think. As much as we love him and want to have him here, when people want to leave, it’s difficult to try to convince them to stay. Once we got back from the combine, we had another real open talk. Then we told him we would concede to his wishes."
At least one report indicated Wilson "was whispering in DK’s ears" and is "the reason" Metcalf wanted a fresh start elsewhere. Perhaps Metcalf would still be with the Seahawks had those supposed chats never occurred.
