It's Clear the Seahawks Won the DK Metcalf Trade

It’s fair to say that 2025 was a disappointing debut for Metcalf. In his first season with the Steelers, Metcalf had a career-low 850 yards. The receiver also only had 59 catches, which was the second-lowest total of his career.

As a result, the Steelers’ offense as a whole was underwhelming. The team hoped that Aaron Rodgers and Metcalf would form a deadly combination, but it never really gelled in 2025.

The start in 2026 hasn’t been promising either. Through two games, Metcalf has eight catches for 67 yards and zero scores. The receiver had some brutal drops in Week 2 and just doesn’t look like the same receiver he was in Seattle.

Making matters worse for the Steelers, the team gave Metcalf a five-year, $150 million extension, which he is not coming close to living up to.

Seahawks Reaping the Rewards

Now, let’s look at the Seahawks’ side. The team used the pick they got for Metcalf in a trade up to land standout defensive back Nick Emmanwori.

Emmanwori was a key piece of the Super Bowl-winning defense in 2026 and is building block for the future. Even if you don’t count Emmanwori, the Seahawks STILL came out on top because they didn’t have to pay Metcalf and they freed up targets for Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

No disrespect to Metcalf, but Smith-Njigba is already a better receiver than Metcalf ever was. If Metcalf was still in Seattle, Smith-Njigba definitely wouldn’t have enjoyed the breakout he had in 2025.

The Seahawks’ offense is balanced and thriving. The Steelers’ offense is a trainwreck. It’s early, but this is on pace to be another John Schneider masterclass.

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