The Steelers are 6-2, sitting alone atop the AFC North after a 27-6 dismantling of the Browns, and the defense is starting to look like one of the league’s best units as the bye week arrives. Pittsburgh’s offense, meanwhile, is settling in around the ground game, with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle doing the heavy lifting.
But the passing attack is still the part that feels unfinished. Aaron Rodgers has been serviceable at 42, yet injuries around him and a down year from DK Metcalf have kept the aerial game from matching the rest of the roster.
That was enough for Fox’s Colin Cowherd to go hard after Metcalf on Monday, arguing the Steelers should move on from the veteran receiver entirely.
“[Steelers general manager Omar Khan] needs to cut bait with DK Metcalf,” Cowherd said on The Herd. “The cap hit triples next year.
He’s washed. It’s over.
Can’t play. And he’s driving Aaron Rodgers nuts.
Now he’s getting in the way, can’t catch, bobbled interception. Yeah, you got worked by John Schneider, the Seattle GM, bro.
You got worked. Don’t make decisions to validate choices.
“He’s washed. It’s over, he can’t play. He’s driving Aaron Rodgers nuts… You’ve got to get out of that contract with DK Metcalf.”
Cowherd also pointed to Pittsburgh’s offensive production against Cleveland and said the Steelers were getting very little from Metcalf.
“I don’t know how in the world the Steelers had 21 first downs with one player on offense that’s special, Jaylen Warren. I don’t know how they got that many first downs.
Aaron Rodgers’ number one target yesterday was a 300-pound tight end that used to be an O-lineman. He’s got one guy he can depend on.
Michael Pittman aged much faster than I thought. He’s injured now.
DK Metcalf’s done; can’t catch, never been a route runner.”
He doubled down on the idea that Pittsburgh should absorb the financial pain and move on.
“I know you have to eat like $36 million dead cap money, but, I’m gonna sound like the guy at the haunted house: Get out now,” he said.
“You got to get out of that contract with DK Metcalf. Don’t validate the acquisition.
Get out of it. It’s over.
Getting in the way. Don’t force Aaron to have to occasionally throw to him.
Time to move on, because what this coach and this quarterback are doing with what they have right now, it’s, it’s, it’s pretty remarkable.”
Pittsburgh’s receiving group is expected to get healthier in the weeks ahead, which should ease some of the pressure on Metcalf. If the struggles keep showing up once that happens, Khan may have a tougher decision to make.
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DK Metcalfs first season as the Steelers top wide receiver has been a rougher fit than anyone around the team expected. He has flashed the kind of contested-catch ability Pittsburgh wanted when it brought him in, but the production has been uneven, and the frustration has started to show in the small moments that can swing games.
On Sunday, one of those moments came when Metcalf dropped a wide-open pass that Clevelands Denzel Ward turned into an interception, a play that summed up the volatility of his year so far. Even with the miscues piling up, the Steelers are still treating this as a fixable stretch rather than a reason to pull back on him, which makes the next few weeks especially important for a receiver still trying to settle into his role. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Fans Are Asking If This 6-2 Start Feels Different
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Injuries and a demanding second half will help answer that soon enough, and the next stretch will tell a lot about how real this run is. What has changed around the team is the sense that the current setup may be better equipped to handle the pressure than some recent Steelers groups that flashed early and faded late, which is why this bye week feels less like a pause and more like a checkpoint. [Read more 🡒]