Long before Aaron Rodgers inked his one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, this team made a surprising splash trade for two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf. Metcalf was a name that floated around the league in trade talks in 2024, and the Steelers came knocking.
This addition not only gave Pittsburgh the flexibility to trade away a headache like George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys, but it also set the stage for a potentially beautiful connection between Rodgers and Metcalf for the 2025 season. These two have been working out together this offseason and are clearly excited about the opportunity to play together.
But what if the Steelers could go back to early March, before the Metcalf trade and before the start of free agency? In hindsight, they may have targeted a different wide receiver.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should have gone after Davante Adams had they known Aaron Rodgers would be their QB.
Of Aaron Rodgers' 20 NFL seasons that will go down as one of the best quarterback careers in NFL history and will be accompanied by first-ballot Hall of Fame honors, his favorite target of all time might be Davante Adams.
Rodgers and Adams had an impeccable connection for eight seasons in Green Bay before both players went their separate ways on new teams—Adams to the Raiders in 2022 and Rodgers to the Jets. These two couldn't stay apart for long, as Adams found himself reunited with Rodgers in 2024, where he went off for 67 catches, 854 yards, and seven touchdowns in just 11 games with the Jets.
Few times in NFL history have we seen chemistry between a quarterback and wide receiver quite like we have with Rodgers and Adams. In 119 games, this connection has resulted in 689 receptions for 8,444 yards and 76 touchdowns, per Statmuse.com.
But there's more than just the innate connection between Rodgers and Adams that should have resulted in a different choice at wide receiver this past March.
In addition to already possessing remarkable chemistry together, Adams would have come cheaper than DK Metcalf. Like Rodgers, Adams had his lofty contract terminated by the New York Jets, making him an unrestricted free agent. The veteran wide receiver ultimately signed with the LA Rams on a two-year, $44 million contract.
This $22 million in average annual salary is less than Metcalf's new money value on his recent contract extension with the Steelers. Metcalf is earning $30 million per season.
You could argue the financial difference is insignificant, but Pittsburgh was also required to give the Seattle Seahawks a second-round pick (No. 52 overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft in the deal for Metcalf. Had the Steelers signed Adams instead of trading for Metcalf, they could have held onto their second-round pick while keeping some cash in their pocket.
Davante Adams is 32 years old, and he doesn't have as much left in the tank as DK Metcalf. But if we knew with absolute certainty that the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to sign a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers in an effort to win now, they should have made a move for Adams back in March, not Metcalf.