The Pittsburgh Steelers traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf this offseason with the hopes of securing an alpha, WR1 for the 2025 season. It made even more sense once the team opted to trade George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers paid up to get Metcalf, and his four-year, $132 million seems like an expensive, long-term investment. As of today, Metcalf is currently the fourth-highest paid receiver in the league, behind arguably the three best players at the position: Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb.
While the contract numbers correlated with Metcalf’s production might make it look like an overpay, ESPN’s Dan Graziano explained in an article on Friday why some details of the contract make it a much more team-friendly deal for the Steelers.