Steelers fans didn’t get much comfort from the team’s 20-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons on opening Sunday, and DK Metcalf’s rough afternoon is a big reason why. Pittsburgh escaped with the victory in a game that was sluggish and ugly on both sides, even with Atlanta forced to start third-string quarterback Cooper Rush at the last minute. Mike McCarthy’s Steelers debut ended in the win column, but the offense did not look clean, and Metcalf’s mistakes kept piling up.
The former Seattle Seahawks receiver finished with four catches for 40 yards on 10 targets, but the stat line barely captures how messy his day was. He was charged with at least two drops and was flagged twice for offensive pass interference. Those are the same problem areas that have followed him for years, even back when he was an All-Pro in 2020.
There was at least one moment where the officials seemed to go against him on a potential defensive pass interference call. A.J. Terrell appeared to take away Metcalf’s right arm without a flag, and that play likely would have been a catch otherwise.
Still, the bigger issue for Pittsburgh is that Metcalf did not look like a dependable target for Aaron Rodgers. Michael Pittman Jr. offered a much cleaner night, catching all three of his targets for 58 yards. If that pattern holds, Pittman could emerge as Rodgers’ preferred option over Metcalf, and that would put even more pressure on DK’s contract situation.
The reaction from Steelers fans was immediate.
And since social media can produce an echo chamber, here’s what our SB Nation brethren at Behind The Steel Curtain wrote:
This was a terrible showing from Metcalf. The Steelers receiver was called for a pair of offensive pass interferences in this contest.
Matcalf was targeted 10 times in the game, but finished with just four catches for 40 yards. The most deflating part of this performance, though, were the crucial drops.
Rodgers and Metcalf seemed to be just a tick off timing wise form each other all game, resulting in a few downfield passes bouncing off the hands of Metcalf. In the third quarter, Rodgers hit Metcalf over the middle right in the hands and the receiver was not able to bring it in.
The play resulted in a resounding boo from the crowd. If the Steelers offense is going to take a step up in 2026, Metcalf is going to need to step up.
That kind of outing won’t erase what Metcalf has done over the course of his career, though. He was one of the most productive receivers in Seahawks history during his six seasons in Seattle, and the issue has never been whether he can make big plays.
The problem is more about fit. His explosive downfield game worked especially well with Russell Wilson and, to a lesser extent, Geno Smith.
Late-career Aaron Rodgers, and the two-high coverage looks that are so common now, do not seem to unlock the same version of Metcalf.
Metcalf also addressed his departure from Seattle in a recent interview with The Athletic, when the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win after he asked out was brought up. He said he had no regrets.
“I live with my decisions every day… they’re very well thought-out decisions to where I know the consequences, know my benefits from every decision that I make,” Metcalf says. “I got brothers on (the Seahawks), still friends on the team.
So I congratulated them, but nobody’s sour over an ex unless you really miss them. So no, I wasn’t sour.”
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