The Steelers have found a little rhythm on offense lately, but the way they’re using DK Metcalf is making one old decision look even worse.
Pittsburgh’s attack has leaned on the run, paired that with a passing game that has been decent at best, and managed to hang around because the defense keeps pulling it back from the edge. But the schedule has been forgiving, and that margin won’t last forever. If the Steelers want to handle better teams down the stretch, the passing game has to become cleaner and more reliable.
That puts Metcalf squarely in the spotlight. He was brought in to be the top receiver in the room, and the returns have been uneven. He has looked better lately, but this season and last season both included stretches where he was more of a problem than a solution.
And that’s where George Pickens enters the conversation.
Pickens may be with the Cowboys now, but he’s not part of the issue in Dallas. The frustrating part for Pittsburgh is how closely his skill set matches what this offense seems to need now that it has settled into its current shape. The Steelers’ usage of Metcalf is a reminder that they might have been better off keeping Pickens around.
The two receivers are built differently, even if both are bigger targets on the outside. Metcalf’s best weapon is his straight-line speed.
If he gets a clean path, he can rip downfield with ease. He also brings value after the catch, where his size and athleticism can turn a routine grab into extra yards.
Pickens has vertical ability too, but what really separates him is the body control and contested-catch skill that jumps off the screen every time he makes a highlight play. Neither style is automatically better. It depends on what the offense asks its receivers to do.
That mattered last season with Arthur Smith calling the shots. Pittsburgh wanted receivers who could find space underneath and do damage after the catch, and Metcalf fit that setup well.
The current picture is different. Mike McCarthy’s offense has leaned on yards after the catch, but the source of that has more to do with Aaron Rodgers’ issues at quarterback than a deliberate scheme. In Pittsburgh, the Steelers have leaned on one-on-one chances with Metcalf in tight coverage, and those plays have not paid off nearly enough.
There seems to be a redzone fade involving Metcalf just about every week, and too often he doesn’t bring it down. The same goes for the downfield chances where he simply hasn’t been able to beat the corner and finish the play. That’s the kind of spot where Pickens has thrived.
Both receivers are good, but Pickens is the more complete player and, in this view, the one with the higher ceiling. If he were getting the kind of opportunities Metcalf has had, he might already have four to five scores.
The Steelers took plenty of heat for trading Pickens. There were other reasons pushing that move, but bringing in Metcalf - and the idea that he was the better system fit at the time - ended up being the final push.
Now that the offense has taken this shape, letting Pickens go looks like an even bigger miss. Metcalf still matters in this passing game, but Pickens looks like the cleaner long-term fit for what Pittsburgh needs.
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