Steelers Restructure WR D.K. Metcalf’s Contract

The move is not related to Pittsburgh’s ongoing standoff with cornerback Joey Porter Jr., according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It is considered a “normal cap conversion,” Dulac adds, meaning it does not add any void years to Metcalf’s existing deal to maximize the 2026 cap savings.

Metcalf, 28, was originally slated for a $25MM salary and a $31MM cap hit this year (via OverTheCap). The Steelers converted $23MM of his salary into a signing bonus and prorated it across the remaining four years of the deal, dropping his 2026 cap hit to $13.75MM. His cap charge in each of the subsequent three seasons will increase by $5.75MM, though his contract contains no guaranteed money in those years.

This restructure has virtually no bearing on Metcalf’s future in Pittsburgh and is more of an accounting move than anything else. The Steelers knew they were going to pay out their star wide receiver’s salary this year; they just decided to push most of the cap burden into the future. While it does increase the potential dead money from parting ways with him, the team was always going to have to account for that money at some point, and since cap space rolls over year-to-year, they are simply giving themselves more flexibility for this season.

Still, 2026 will be important for Metcalf. His debut in Pittsburgh featured his lowest numbers since his 2019 rookie campaign. The Steelers are hoping that the arrival of former Colt Michael Pittman and a new offensive coaching staff will open up more opportunities for their star wideout. A second season with Aaron Rodgers may allow the duo to fine-tune the deep ball that flashed (but not consistently) last year.