The Seattle Seahawks continued their rebuilding effort by trading wide receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Seahawks will receive a 2025 second-round pick (52 overall). Metcalf will get a new four-year, $132 million extension with the Steelers.

This trade comes just one day after the Seahawks moved Geno Smith to Las Vegas and released Tyler Lockett. It is a changing of the guard in Seattle.

Fantasy Impact

The situation in Pittsburgh is ambiguous, even after this trade. While there is stability in the coaching and offensive scheme, we don't know who the quarterback will be in 2025, as both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are free agents. Metcalf has never finished with fewer than 900 yards and ended 2024 as a top-35 fantasy wide receiver despite missing two games. At just 27 years old, he still has plenty of football left, and his skill set puts him among the league's best receivers. Despite the uncertainty at quarterback, we can try to figure out Metcalf's role by looking at the history of Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.

Smith has been in Pittsburgh for just one season after leaving Atlanta in 2023. Before that, he was the offensive coordinator in Tennessee, and his top wide receiver was A.J. Brown, the college teammate of DK Metcalf. While Metcalf is taller than Brown, their games aren't terribly different from one another. In two seasons under Smith, Brown posted these stat lines:

Two seasons with over one thousand yards and eight touchdowns made Brown a top-20 wide receiver in fantasy. While it's true that Smith's offense hasn't been very pass-friendly in recent years, it's clear that the correct receiver can succeed in this system. Metcalf has the tools to return to the top 20, regardless of who plays quarterback for the Steelers next season. 

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Fantasy Fallout

This acquisition could be a sign that they plan to pass more in Pittsburgh. Both of last year's running backs are free agents, though Jaylen Warren is a restricted free agent, so the Steelers will have every opportunity to bring him back. However, both quarterbacks are also free agents. Pittsburgh threw the ball fourth-fewest in the league last season, and it seems that one of last year's options will return in 2025. While that low volume might not be a big problem for Metcalf, it could severely hamper George Pickens.

Pickens took over as the Steelers top receiver in 2024 after Diontae Johnson left in free agency, and the results were far from fantastic. Despite finishing with 103 targets, 40 more than any other Steelers receiver, Pickens accumulated just 59 catches for 900 yards and only three touchdowns. He also missed three games on the way to finishing outside the top 40 in fantasy. In Smith's offense, no two wide receivers have ever finished with over 100 targets in the same season. Last year, Pittsburgh's number-two receiver, Calvin Austin III, was targeted just 58 times. If the passing volume remains low, Pickens will suffer.

The Seattle side of this trade is even harder to decipher right now. They just traded Geno Smith to the Raiders and also released Tyler Lockett. Throw in a whole new offensive scheme, and the only clear thing is that Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be the focal point of the passing game. Currently, the third-year wideout is in line for a massive target share in Seattle. 

Stock Watch

Risers

• DK Metcalf
• Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, assuming one returns as the starting quarterback
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Fallers

• George Pickens
• Calvin Austin III

Overview

The Pittsburgh Steelers have acquired D.K. Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a second-round pick in this year's draft. Metcalf got a four-year, $132 million contract extension from Pittsburgh and looks poised to lead the Steelers' receiving corps for the foreseeable future.

Be sure to follow Ryan Weisse and Footballguys on X to stay up-to-date on fantasy football news this offseason.