There's no denying that the Pittsburgh Steelers' trade for 27-year-old DK Metcalf isn't an appropriately aggressive move to improve the team's second-biggest weakness. The biggest weakness, of course, is the quarterback position.
About the time the trade was announced, Pittsburgh was also linked to quarterback Sam Darnold, who revived his career in 2025 with the Minnesota Vikings. In the meantime, Justin Fields will be testing his market in free agency and Russell Wilson is clearly not expected back.
Then there's Aaron Rodgers, a player who, much like DK Metcalf, Mike Tomlin has admired from afar.
With Omar Khan relinquishing his second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, it's unlikely his aggression can be repeated on selection day to trade up for a quarterback.
Can the Pittsburgh Steelers' Offense Keep DK Metcalf and George Pickens Happy?
That does leave Pittsburgh with far too many less-than-favorable options. All the while, Arthur Smith has to find 108 targets for DK Metcalf, his total in 2024, his fewest since his rookie season. For context, George Pickens had 103 targets to lead the Steelers last year, while the remainder of the wide receiving group was targeted fewer than 70 times.
While Metcalf never explicitly complained about his target share, he's clearly been a receiver who can be a distraction when his frustration reaches a boiling point. While he may not be as rough around the edges, it's not too different from the behavior Steelers fans have seen with George Pickens.
Yes, Pickens and Metcalf draw comparisons beyond their physical attributes and their jersey number. Metcalf is prone to the same bone-headed penalties, tantrums, and fumbles as Pickens. Much like Pickens, targets and production is the cure for the chaos.
Sure, no matter who plays quarterback for the Steelers, or running back, Smith's offense will run the football. But whoever is at quarterback for the Steelers in 2025 must target two receivers 100 times each to not only keep them happy but also to ensure this offense takes a positive step forward after another aggressive-if-not-risky move by General Manager Omar Khan.
For what it's worth, Darnold targeted Justin Jefferson 154 times, Jordan Addison 99 times (15 games) and tight end TJ Hockenson 62 times. He showed last year, though in an entirely different system with superior receivers, that he can indeed spread the ball around.
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Unfortunately, the Steelers' offense isn't conducive to giving its receivers such a wealth of opportunity. Maybe that changes with the right quarterback. But if it doesn't, this trade in all its fireworks might just blow up in the franchise's face.
Still, something about a trade for a 27-year-old receiver says Khan is still, somewhat understandably, in win-now mode. If that's the case, only two options make much sense: Darnold or Rodgers.
Fields or a rookie or some average stopgap would just frustrate these two talented and brash wide receivers with their lack of productivity.
This trade stands to call for more aggression out of Khan to make sure the pieces of the puzzle to this roster fit properly. With this trade, the Steelers could have very well given the fanbase a hint as to where their attention is centered at quarterback, or at the very least narrowed the range of possibilities.