PFF doesn’t see DK Metcalf as a top-25 receiver heading into 2026, and that says plenty about how his first year in Pittsburgh went.
The Steelers paid a steep price to land him last March, sending a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks before quickly locking him into a 4-year 132 million dollar extension. But the move didn’t produce the kind of immediate payoff Pittsburgh was hoping for. While Seattle went on to win the Super Bowl, the Steelers were bounced in the first round again, and Metcalf finished his debut season in black and gold with fewer than 1,000 yards.
In Pro Football Focus’ ranking of NFL wide receivers entering 2026, Metcalf landed at No. 26.
“In his first season with Pittsburgh, Metcalf led the Steelers with 850 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.,” Wasserman and Chadwick wrote. “His 1.83 yards per route run ranked among the top 30 qualified wide receivers despite posting a career-low 11.3-yard average depth of target because of Aaron Rodgers‘ conservative tendencies. The additions of Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie Germie Bernard should help alleviate some of the pressure on Metcalf to carry the Steelers’ passing game.”
That placement lines up with the general buzz around Metcalf as he heads into his second year with the team. Jarrett Bailey and I looked at where he belongs among NFL receivers just a few weeks ago, and the Steelers’ No. 1 wideout ended up in a similar neighborhood in both of our rankings compared with the PFF list.
There’s also reason to think the arrow points up from here. Metcalf will have a full offseason working with Aaron Rodgers, and Pittsburgh has added more help to the receiver room. That should make it harder for defenses to load up on him the way they did last season.
Mike McCarthy’s offense should also tilt more toward the pass and put multiple receivers on the field more often. For Metcalf and the Steelers, 2026 shapes up as a huge year.
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