The Pittsburgh Steelers traded for extensive receiver DK Metcalf this offseason with the hopes of securing an alpha, WR1 for the 2025 season. It made much more sense as soon as the crew opted to commerce George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers paid as much as get Metcalf, and his four-year, $132 million looks like an costly, long-term funding. As of at this time, Metcalf is presently the fourth-highest paid receiver within the league, behind arguably the three greatest gamers on the place: Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb.
Whereas the contract numbers correlated with Metcalf’s manufacturing would possibly make it appear like an overpay, ESPN’s Dan Graziano defined in an article on Friday why some particulars of the contract make it a way more team-friendly deal for the Steelers.
“This seems like a reasonably candy deal for Metcalf, who has averaged 73 catches per season in his six-year NFL profession and has caught 90 balls in a season solely as soon as,” wrote Graziano. “However within the present galaxy of prime extensive receiver contracts, this one isn’t so dangerous for the crew. The Steelers pays the 27-year-old Metcalf $35 million this yr — a $30 million signing bonus and a $5 million wage — and $25 million in 2026. After that, it’s utterly as much as them. His 2027 wage of $20 million by no means turns into assured, towards damage or in any other case.”
“In the event that they needed to chop him after 2026, they’d need to do it by the third day of the league yr in March 2027 to keep away from paying him one other $6.5 million,” Graziano went on to jot down. “So that is actually a two-year dedication, and either side appear to realize it.”
In distinction to an notorious, player-friendly contract like Deshaun Watson’s fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million cope with the Cleveland Browns, the DK Metcalf contract isn’t dangerous in any respect. Lower than half of Metcalf’s contract is fully-guaranteed, and the Steelers have quite a lot of freedom relating to the contract following the 2026 season. At that time, they will consider his previous two seasons in Pittsburgh, whereas weighing their different contracts, his potential replacements at extensive receiver, after which they will resolve whether or not to maintain him or lower him and lower your expenses.
A two-year dedication — moderately than a fully-guaranteed four-year dedication — is helpful for a crew just like the Steelers with so many unknowns within the close to future, none larger than quarterback. Their 41-year-old starter Aaron Rodgers confirmed that he plans to retire after he performs out his one-year cope with the Steelers. Because of this the crew will likely be in search of an alternative choice, fairly presumably a rookie or youthful quarterback choice, to hopefully be the subsequent franchise signal-caller. It may take years for them to seek out the suitable man, and the offense may undergo much more turbulent years.
Concerning Metcalf, the query will likely be whether or not he may be the foundational, WR1 for certainly one of these younger quarterbacks, or if he’s not price the fee based mostly on his manufacturing this season and subsequent.
Let’s hope that Metcalf makes it a simple alternative for the Steelers, by balling out this yr with Rodgers, and paving the way in which for the subsequent Steelers franchise quarterback over the subsequent 4 years.
